Weapon X: The Genesis Project
by Shadow Hand Zealot
Summary: X-23 crippled HYDRA. Logan stopped Weapon X. But Weapon X is back from the grave, evolved into something more insidious. Can Logan and X-23 let the past go, or will they have to bury it themselves so they can have their future? Canon pairings, others TBD
1. The Best

**X-23 is slight AU: She's as old as the new mutants (16) in this story and has her future appearance as such.**

**REPOST! Cut some unnecessary content in this chapter. Needed the focus to be more finite.**

Chapter 1: The Best

"_A living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength—life itself is will to power; self-preservation is only one of the indirect and most frequent results" – Nietzsche _

_New York City, near the end of the Apocalypse Incident._

Laura, X-23, was going over in her head what her customers just ordered from the bar. She was working at a club in Midtown NYC for a couple months now, just trying to get by and stay ahead of the past. Working at this club was an improvement from what she used to do to scrape by. That was still only known to her and few others. She gracefully slid between all the patrons and the small tables, while carrying a tray above her head, until she finally reached the bar. She rattled off the order to the bartender and made her way back to her customers without losing a single drop of alcohol.

"Thanks sweet-stuff," one of the patrons said as he took a swig of his cheap beer, "How's abou' you join our lil' party. Time of your life I swear."

Laura caught the patron's eyes and they were skating up and down in their sockets, checking her out. This was the part of her job she had to learn to put up with. Getting ogled at while wearing a pair of tight slacks and a low-cut blouse was part of the job, and it had its advantages in the form of bigger tips. Trying to live in NYC, a person needs what they can get if they want to live comfortably. The first couple nights she worked at this club Laura usually shot a glare at people who stared at her. Killed her chances of getting bigger tips too.

Her coworkers took pity on her and taught her some of the tricks of the trade, knowing what it was like to be in Laura's shoes. A couple shifts later and Laura was a natural at catering to her patron's needs, to a reasonable and respectable extent. She was bred to be a fast learner.

The one looking her up and down right then was harmless from what she could tell, so she feigned a smile to tide him over until the alcohol distracted him. On the other hand, there was another patron she caught watching her incessantly from the beginning of her shift on the second level of the club. It was a man with heavily chiseled features, a brown military crew cut and non-descript clothing. He had a table that gave him a decent view of the entire club. His actions were atypical of the other patrons. This was an observer. Not some guy who felt some attraction to Laura, but surveillance. He could track her everywhere except the bathroom and the break rooms. This patron did earn Laura's deathly glare. To her surprise, he didn't even blink. From this distance it was possible he could not make out her expression.

One thing was clear to Laura: this man did not sit right with her.

Bobby Soul, the young bartender and fellow mutant also known as Felon, noticed Laura's discomfort and motioned her over to the bar.

"Hey, Laura, you okay? You seem… you know…!" Felon shouted over the loud music and slicked his cornrows back, Laura simply shrugged.

"I am fine!" she said back. She tried to get back to serving drinks but Felon grabbed her arm. If it was anyone else who had done that, they might have lost an arm.

"Come on, Laura, you keep looking up at someone on the second floor like someone's gonna jump out spraying lead across the dance floor," Felon pried, in this club he was like Alpha and Omega, this was his domain, and if those under his watch are under any kind of duress, he dealt with it.

"It is just a customer who is watching me," Laura tried to play it off like it was nothing. It's not like she couldn't handle herself against some obsessive patron. She leaned over to Felon and muttered in his ear the who and the where. Felon's eyes locked on immediately to the dapperly cut patron. He motioned a couple of the bouncers over to the bar and told them to check him out.

Laura and Felon watched the patron get up to leave as the bouncers radioed each other to keep some eyes on him. It looked like he was leaving, now that he was made. Laura thanked Felon for handling the issue and she finished off the rest of her shift without incident. It was two in the morning when her shift finished. It was time to clock out and make her way home.

Like most nights, Laura took an intricate route home that took her through streets, alleyways, above rooftops, and through subway tunnels. Her instinct told her she could never be too careful with losing people who took an unhealthy interest in her. Tonight she did plenty of doubling back, on account of the patron. After about an hour of bounding around, Laura found herself back her apartment.

The apartment Laura lived in was a top-floor, studio apartment. This apartment used to be a safe house Laura operated out of during her HYDRA days. Rearranging it to be more habitable and look normal was simple enough. Fence some of the military-level equipment, throw a couple rugs down, and place some cheap furniture and voila it looked somewhat normal. The money from the fenced military equipment allowed her to discreetly have someone put a standard kitchen in. Now it looked like a typical young adult living space, but rather clean.

She slipped out of her work attire in exchange for a pair of sweats and a loose t-shirt as pajamas. She did a quick sweep of her apartment, making sure all the entrances, usual or otherwise, were secure. Blinds were shut, doors and windows locked, and Laura finally was able to go to bed.

The night had other plans for her however.

Just as she was about to slip into bed, a hail of bullets tore through the windows of her apartment, starting at the kitchen on the far end away from her. Immediately, Laura hit the ground and moved.

She stayed low covering her head as she moved herself into the kitchen.

More bullets flew into the living room, tearing up the hardwood floors and furniture. Laura tried to get a look out of the apartment but had to duck back down quickly to avoid taking one in the head.

The gunfire just kept coming even though Laura was behind cover, and they must have seen that. Was this just suppression fire to keep her busy while another team came in to apprehend her through sheer numbers?

Not wanting to find out, Laura made her move.

She looked out of the apartment's windows and saw a muzzle flash on the fire escape of a building across the street. Screaming over the gunfire, still in her bloody and tattered pajamas, she leapt through the broken window, getting grazed a couple times in the process. She slid down the building side and clambered up the building that the shooter had taken position on. The shooter seemed to get cold feet and abandoned his position.

She pursued her prey knowing she was faster. When she got closer she saw the military black ops uniform. They found her. HYDRA, or some splinter faction of it had found her. The shooter was making his way down the stairwell trying to get down to the street to lose her.

She dove from where she was on the flight of stairs and crashed right into the shooter. He regained his footing and tried to get ahead again, but he wasn't fast enough for Laura. She jammed her claws straight between the shooter's shoulder blades, hearing him cry out in pain. Using her other hand, she stuck him in the lower back. Laura finished him by tossing him over the railing. He fell four stories, hitting other railings on his way down before coming to a crackling halt at the bottom. The shooter did not get up after that. Laura fled the scene quickly and returned to the apartment to assess her situation.

Her conclusion was simple: it was time to run.

Laura had plenty of places she could go. Safe houses, old hideouts... but were any of them safe? As long as the enemy had some idea of where she was, that would be true. Settling may have been foolish move on Laura's part. She never was going to assume her past was forever behind her again.

--

By the time the police even got around to check out the street Laura lived on, she had packed a duffel bag with all her clothes and was miles away. She stopped at a diner in Midtown to gather her mental bearings and strength for what lay ahead of her. One thing was certain at this point: get out of New York City.

Laura thought of the possibilities. There was the Xavier institute, but she wasn't certain she was ready for that place yet. Hell, she wasn't sure she would ever be. But with the skeletons of her past coming out of the closet, she was in danger. If that danger would follow her there, she could not be certain. She needed to find who in HYDRA was still coming after her and end them.

A tingling in Laura's hands began to work its way around her spine. She sensed that she was being shadowed. Sniffing the air, Laura smelt a familiar aroma. She knew who was following her. In the big crowds of NYC it was hard to pinpoint a skilled tail, but she trained herself to recognize her follower's scent during her days with HYDRA. She made her way through the city to settle all her affairs, to be back on the run. Her boss wasn't too happy about losing her, but it had to be done. Whoever was tailing her, it was time to draw them out.

--

Laura stood perched on the fire escape of a building back in the Middle East side. She was waiting for her tail to come to her. If she knew her assailant at all, she knew that they would savor the chance to put her through pain. That's the way Kimura saw Laura, someone to bully.

Kimura was Laura's handler.

It was getting late; the sun had set, and the creatures of the New York night began to emerge from their daytime habitat.

Laura kept her eyes, ears, and nose alert as she crouched completely still, waiting. The wind would occasionally blow some of her nearly black hair into her face. Annoying as it was, the wind could tell her how close Kimura was. Whenever she hunted Laura, she was rarely alone. Usually there was a strike team that came in first or backed her up.

This time though, Laura did not pick up on any of the scents that indicated either. There were no military helicopters in the air, no scents indicating an encroaching strike team, just Kimura's scent.

BAM!

A gunshot rang out and Laura felt a hot, sharp pain plow through her body at the base of her spine. She was knocked off her feet and unable to use her legs. The damage would not be permanent, but that was the least of her problems. As her spinal cord healed itself, Laura used her claws to drag herself through a window into an apartment, currently vacant. She felt feeling gradually return to her legs; even so she would be unsteady trying to flee at first. Laura continued to crawl through the apartment, eventually reaching the hallway. She heard feet scampering down the fire escape outside of the building and people coming in her direction through the halls.

Sure enough, multiple commandos were upon her position in seconds. They surrounded her making sure she had no where to go. Through a line of them, a tan and brunette woman walked through. Kimura had arrived, carrying a sniper rifle propped against her shoulder.

"Hello X, long time no see," Kimura winked at Laura slyly. She stepped closer and kicked Laura in the face. She tried to slash at Kimura, but it was a moot point. Kimura's skin was unbreakable. She just laughed and kicked Laura in the face again. There was a sickening crack and Laura went limp all over. She was very much alive, but totally immobile, "Better take the opportunity to rest, X. You're going to need your energy."

"Enough banter! Secure the clone for transport," said a gravelly voice from down the hall. Although she could not turn her head to see who it was, she knew that voice belonged to none other than the HYDRA agent called Gauntlet. Laura calculated he had a higher chance of surviving the HYDRA base's destruction. Seemed her calculations were correct.

"You know, X," Kimura whispered into Laura's ear, "If there is one thing you and I can agree on, its Gauntlet is absolutely no fun."

Laura was powerless at this point. The last thing she saw before a black bag was pulled over her head was Kimura's venomous smile. The only thing worse than living in captivity for the majority for the majority of one's life is having hard-earned freedom stripped away. Laura had had it for a few solid months now after crippling HYDRA. She had gotten to experience her first Christmas with friends, she was starting to lead a low-profile life. After the fighting she had done, this was how easily her freedom was going to be torn from her clutch?

Laura felt feeling return to her body as a few commandoes cuffed her hands behind her and began to lift her up. She was certain that her legs would move by her own will now. She had to be certain, as she would have only one chance at this. The element of surprise was everything. With the bag still over her head she was going to have to rely on her other senses temporarily. Laura estimated she had a window of 19 seconds to use before her chances of escape became zero.

Easy enough; HYDRA may have trained her _too_ well for their good.

00:19

The soldier holding her legs did not have a firm grip around her ankles, just enough to hold her aloft. To his misfortune, no one was briefed on how fast Laura could heal. His fatal mistake would not leave him time for regret.

Laura kicked one of her feet up ward, blade unsheathed. She knew she hit her mark; the hands gripping her ankle tensed briefly before going limp. Laura felt the floor meet her ground, giving her leverage to push over the other commando holding her. He was too shocked by seeing his teammate fall that his reaction time to Laura's efforts suffered.

00:16

As soon as she regained her footing, Laura leapt up pulling her legs through her arms, severing the hand cuffs in the process. With her hands free again, she tore off the black bag and reassessed her situation between heartbeats. She was surrounded

00:13

"Shoot her!" Gauntlet ordered. He and all the remaining commandos raised their silenced weapons and prepared to fire. Quiet gunshots rang out and Laura dove through a group of them, going away from Gauntlet. While she could have easily killed two or three commandos with that maneuver, she did not.

Unfortunately Kimura was there to cut off Laura's escape. She was not to be deterred though. Laura pounced to the ground and flattened her self as Gauntlet gave the order to keep firing. A hail of bullets collided with Kimura; while they did not penetrate her skin, the force of the shots knocked her off her feet.

00:10

Laura leapt over Kimura, dropping multiple small objects on her chest, and catching a few bullets in the back. She felt the wind get knocked out of her, but she had to keep moving in spite of the bullets. Laura was back inside the apartment she came through initially, listening carefully as she ran back the way she came.

00:08

Kimura looked down at her chest to see what Laura dropped. They were small rings with a single peg jutting outward. Her eyes widened in horror.

00:06

Kimura looked up at the group of guards that Laura dove through. In an instant she saw that all the pins to their grenades were missing, and they were running after Laura. It was too late to warn them, or to tell them to not come any closer; they were already around her.

00:04

The grenades exploded, giving Laura her only chance to put enough distance and cover between her and her pursuers. She leapt back out of the window of the apartment and landed with a roll on the sidewalk below. Sadly, she knew Kimura was still alive. She always was.

00:00

Laura ran as fast as she could, ducking down into the subway to avoid being traced by possible enemy air support. By the time her pursuers sorted themselves out to resume the pursuit, she was long gone. She did not ride any of the subway cars. The tunnels below the concrete metropolis let her set her own route. By the time they swept the tunnels for her, she would be far from them, hidden once again.

--

A couple hours later, Laura was at a Greyhound bus station on her way out of NYC carrying only a duffel bag she filled after a quick stop by one of her other safe houses. She travelled light: a couple changes of clothes, some cash, and other bare essentials. She kept her senses trained for the slightest indication of an enemy presence. Standard operating procedure dictated that there was likely to be sleeper cells at all transport hubs searching for her.

Laura picked a place to squat in the station and watched people come and go for an hour and a half. For ninety minutes she watched hundreds of faces pass by. No one paid her any attention, nor lingered any longer than necessary. Nor did she see the same face twice. This was very good.

Confident that no one was following her, Laura picked up her bag and made her way toward a bus. On her way there she bumped into a single person, who met her eyes only for a second to say sorry. He did not even stop as he said it. Like her, he was in a hurry. She saw he stood taller than her. He wore jeans, tennis shoes, a black hoodie with a black leather jacket over that as it was only late January. He was a light traveler on account that he only had a single strap backpack with him. That, or he needed to be a fast mover, hence the athletic shoes.

Laura did not see his face during their brief interaction. His hood veiled his face even further. Her suspicion of the man being a threat was only evidenced to back it up: hurried gait, light luggage, hood up. Laura watched him carefully, out of everyone in this terminal he was the only one to bump into her. But he walked with a purpose and did not dip back for a second look at her. He was just another civilian, not a care in the world, and not a threat to her. She climbed aboard a bus headed north out of the country. Hiding was still her standing objective. At least until she decided on her next move.

While she may have stepped out of the crosshairs temporarily, the people after her were already dedicating their resources to other… concerns. They had time to wait for Laura to reveal herself again.

--

Gauntlet and Kimura sat in the cargo area of a military osprey. With their squad wiped out they had to regroup and begin tracking Laura again. Gauntlet was in the middle of communicating with their superior, delivering the bad news.

"If we underestimated her it was because of poor intel… yes… we're tracking her as we speak…uh-huh… I see… I don't think that's necessary… are you sure that's wise?" Gauntlet mumbled into the comlink in his ear, "With all due respect, sir, he may attract unwanted attention. Very well, we'll head for the rendezvous… As you wish."

Kimura reluctantly looked over at her partner, "Well?"

"They're bringing in someone else to handle the situation. Supposedly they're perfect for tracking X-23 down," Gauntlet explained the situation, "Until further notice I'm being reassigned and you're heading to meet with the new operative."

Kimura simply laughed, "I don't need help tracking the little bitch down."

"Not your decision," Gauntlet countered, "Besides, Sabertooth seems to have a knack for tracking clawed trouble-makers. The sooner we have X-23 in custody the better."

"They're sending him? We want a tracker, not an executioner!" Kimura objected.

"X-23's healing factor is very potent," Gauntlet droned on, getting tired of his companion's defiance, "The fact remains; it is not your call. By the way, they say you should dress warm."

"Lucky me," Kimura spat, "What glamorous assignment do you get? Kissing ass?"

"Reconnaissance. Our superiors are in the market for weapons, these days."

* * *

**A/N: I said I was going to be retooling the entire story, I ended up taking the whole thing back to the drawing board. **


	2. The Woman's Touch

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel properties.**

**FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW I REDID THE LAST CHAPTER. REREAD IT. Remember, X-23 is 16 years old like the New Mutants in the series.**

**Warning: this chapter contains more violence than the last chapter. Also this is not going to be the usual length of chapters. Most will likely be 2-3 pages shorter.**

Chapter 2: The Woman's Touch

_Xavier institute, two weeks Post- Apocalypse_

Logan stood behind Xavier as he sat at the Cerebro console, searching for a mutant. At the moment however, Logan was hoping Xavier would be successful in finding a certain mutant Logan had a personal connection with: X-23, or Laura as she was now called according to Doctor Deborah Risman.

Logan contacted her in hope she had at some point been contacted by Laura. It turned out that she did once right after the fall of the HYDRA base, but the meeting was brief. All Deborah told Logan was that she told Laura her real first name and what she should do now that she was free. Deborah even recommended to Laura that she go to the Xavier institute, but Laura's instincts told her that her being around people personal to her would only put them in danger. So, she disappeared.

Ever since HYDRA was crippled a few months back, Logan began putting out feelers through his resources in hopes of finding some trace of Laura. He knew that if she was like him in any way beyond genes, she would be a ghost to the world. Even so, he had to try and find her. He felt some obligation to do so. Since before she was born she had no say in what direction her life took and he wanted more than anything else to give her that if nothing else. His hopes of finding her diminished as his resources turned up nothing. Now it all rested on good ol' Chuck.

"Anything yet?" Logan asked.

Xavier turned in his seat and glared at Logan, "I won't be able to find her if you interrupt me."

Logan grunted and continued to stand absolutely still. He was aching to just get out and begin searching for her himself. If he could find a place she had been recently then he would have tried to find her himself.

"Ah… I think I've found her," Xavier announced, "She's… hmm… she's near Mount McKenna. Isn't that where-"

"Weapon X was? Yeah," Logan answered. That concerned him, "What the hell is she up to?"

"I'm sensing a great deal of focus from her mind. And stress. I would guess she's searching for something," Xavier homed in on Laura's location, hoping to get a better idea of what was going on. That's when he found she was not alone, "Sabertooth! He's very close to her!"

"I'm gone," Logan began to bolt out of the room but was held back by Xavier.

"I'll have a few of the students meet you in the hangar," Xavier said. Before Logan could object Xavier silenced his refusal, "Given the girl's mental state you may find some of the younger X-Men may be able to convince her to come here better than you could. And I doubt Sabertooth would be chasing her without someone guiding his actions."

"I don't think so Chuck. Sabertooth is probably just trying to screw with me like he always does," Logan shrugged Xavier's caution off.

"Possibly. At least take a few of the X-Men. Laura has not ever agreed to come here when it's just you who is asking," Xavier said as powered Cerebro down. Logan groaned as he walked out of the room. He would not admit it to Xavier's face, but he was right.

--

Rogue was in one of the weight room of the institute working out. She was using the sparring mat to practice the forms she knew off hand and some of the new moves Logan had taught her over the last week. Given the nature of her powers, being up close and personal to be any use in a combat scenario was utter necessity. She worked so diligently at her hand-to-hand work more out of a need to not feel useless in the field. It paid off though; she was arguably one of the best fighters in the X-Men second only to Wolverine and on par with Scott Summers. It was not uncommon to find the two of them sparring with one another, but today Scott was teaching the New Mutants leaving Rogue to her own devices.

The weight room was dimly lit, but enough so Rogue could recognize her surroundings. The low-level light helped her concentrate; bathing visual distractions in a dark enough shroud to put them from her immediate consciousness. It was very therapeutic smashing her hands and feet into the heavy bag at a natural rhythm. _Punch, side step, kick, kick, sweep, elbow,_ were the only words filling Rogue's head until Logan came inside.

"Stripes, suit up and dress warm. We're heading north. Recruiting run," Logan said briskly. He was gone before Rogue could inquire or object to being shanghaied into a mission.

"Sure, Logan, Ah'd be happy to drop whatever Ah'm doin' just to be a walkin' advertisement," Rogue muttered sarcastically. With the Apocalypse incident having just been resolved, Rogue was hoping to at least have some solid time to her self. A week without debriefings, without physicals to make sure there were no adverse affects from taking down Apocalypse, without being hounded with questions about her experience in the battle did not seem like too much to ask for. This was life for the X-Men however.

With a bit of a huff, she toweled herself off and made her way to the lockers as Logan ordered.

--

At the Danger Room Scott was overseeing a training simulation with the New Mutants. It was a standard obstacle course that required teamwork to successfully complete. It was the fourth time that week Scott had ran them through it. While all their performances were impressive against Apocalypse, there was always room for improvement. There was also the fact that most times a lot of their successes could be attributed to sheer luck. In Scott's view, the less they relied on luck the better.

"Spread yourselves out! You don't want to trample over each other do you?" Scott called out from the observation deck. Some of the students responded immediately, although it was trickier for some of the New Mutants to accomplish this task, "Multiple, try to keep your dupes to a minimum."

Scott made some notes in his mind that were destined to become a class on resource management. A camping trip might due the trick for that if set up effectively. Before Scott could explore that possibility any further, the hiss of a sliding door announced Logan's entrance.

"Summers, get suited up. Dress for Canada," Logan ordered. While Scott had no problem with following Logan's lead, he made a point to ask the professor who was the ranking member. Scott's main concern was that issue coming up in field operations in the future; such scenarios could not afford that debate.

"And my class?" Scott asked. Being a teacher sort of was beginning to grow on him. It was to a point that his tolerance for having his class interrupted was reserved for only matters of great importance.

Logan grunted, "Hank's on his way down. Tell Jean to get ready too."

"Uh… sure," Scott acknowledged. He set the simulation to computer control and did as he was ordered. He reached out to Jean and relayed Logan's orders, then suited up for the cold North Country hike.

Minutes later he sat in the Black Bird cockpit prepping the jet for flight. He went over the mental checklist he made for himself whenever he was getting ready for the flight. All systems were green, he cleared their flight plan with the FAA, the tank was full, etc. Scott tried to relax, but he never could completely shut out the anxiety that came with his position as a leader. He never let on about it though; it was a healthy amount of anxiety. It kept his mind in check, kept him aware of his situation, and it helped him look after his team. Of course it did make him stiff and critical at times. That on the other hand was no secret.

Rogue was the first to arrive on the jet after him. Out of all the women on the team, she was the lowest-maintenance when it came to getting set for a mission. She dressed in her dark blue and green uniform with a black trench coat for the weather. She gave him a nod that he exchanged as she sat down.

The observation aspect of Scott's leadership came into play right then as he saw Rogue looking somewhat distracted. He was a little keener to notice these little things about her than most others at the institute. It did not come as surprise when all that they had gone through together was taken into consideration.

"So, what's up?" Scott asked casually. Rogue turned, looking slightly bemused. Scott, as a leader, was not one to beat around the bush. His tone was direct and strong, "You look a little tired."

"Ah'm not surprised," Rogue answered, letting a smile slip, "Kahnda hard these days to fahnd some quiet."

"Yeah. Guess the attention comes with saving the world, huh," Scott leaned forward, "Just give it some time and people will stop pestering you about it."

"Heh, easy for you to say," Rogue giggled a bit, "Ah'm sorta wishin' we could get another cruise planned. It'd be nice to get away, don't ya think?"

"Another week away from classes, missions, and winter weather… Hell yeah," Scott agreed completely. Perhaps if this next recruiting mission went well they would have the opportunity, "Anything else on your mind?"

"Curious much?"

"Just want to get a sense of where my team is at," Scott reassured her.

"Ah thought this was Logan's team for this run," Rogue intentionally poked at that point, hoping to get an entertaining response out of Scott.

"Uh…I am technically the leader, last I checked," Scott said very authoritatively. Rogue giggled again.

"You sound so sure," Rogue could not help herself in finding entertainment in Scott's slight discomfort.

Scott gave her smile. It was good to see on her; a nice change of pace from the usual sullen expression that seemed permanent at times.

"Seriously though; is there anything else on your mind?"

Rogue shifted in her seat, smile disappearing, _There's plenty, pretty boy._

And that was the honest truth, but she was not about to start wearing her heart on her sleeves. Pity was the last thing Rogue wanted.

Although Rogue had moved on from her crush on Scott, like most teenagers she would always wonder what could have been for brief instances. That was some heavy baggage, whether she realized it or not. Carry a crush long enough and it will begin to feel natural, unnoticed. A heavy weight that goes unresolved. Sometimes it passes silently, other times it keeps people in the past. Rogue fell into the latter category.

She was not the type of woman to steal someone's man. She could never see herself as anything but a hypocrite if she did something like that.

"Nothin' worth mentionin'," Rogue answered. Scott was a persistent one however.

"Come on, you know you can talk to me, right?" Scott implored. He was staring straight into Rogue's eyes, hoping to get something.

She sat there, thinking about how to answer. Now was not the time she wanted to focus on her baggage. She just wanted to get this mission done fast and go home, "Make up a sparrin' match with meh and we'll talk then."

"Deal," Scott answered. Jean and Logan entered the jet together and in minutes they were up in the air. Rogue and Jean exchanged casual conversation while Logan and Scott took care of the initial flying duties. It was small talk at best, and for Rogue it felt forced. She could understand that Jean was probably trying to reach out to her, but it was not desired on Rogue's end. She was quick to end the talk with Jean when Logan finally engaged auto-pilot to give them all a briefing.

"Alright, we're on our way to Mt. McKenna in Canada. It's the last definite position of Laura, or X-23 as you all probably remember," Logan began. There was a wealth of questions already, which Logan tried to predict, "Laura is a female clone of me, created by a terrorist organization called HYDRA who took information form Weapon X and…"

Logan paused. His briefing was just raising more questions than it was answering. While Scott was good at hiding his feelings, he could only assume that Rogue and Jean's blank stares were indicative of everyone's comprehension.

"Wait, we're going after the girl who kicked all of our asses just to get to you?" Rogue was the only one to respond.

"You know what… hell with it… Laura is something like a little sister of mine, she hasn't had a normal life and I want to help her build one at the institute," Logan did not bother with specifics this time. The more cut and dry the better. "All you need to know is that she's confused. Trust me when I say this, be careful around her. She can and will kill you if she feels threatened. Don't make her want to."

Confidence was the last thing being advocated by Logan's briefing, "Also, the prof picked up Sabertooth in the area. He'll probably come after me, so you all focus on finding Laura. Questions can wait until we have her safely on the way to the institute. Got it?"

Everyone nodded, albeit nervously.

"What intel do we have on the area," Scott asked.

Again, Logan's information was only the essentials, "Pretty rough terrain. Snow, trees, rocks… Mt. McKenna used to be the site of an… old government project. It's likely we'll find Laura there. We'll know for certain once we get on the ground. Anything else?"

Everyone raised a hand. Logan sighed, "Anything that can't wait until after the mission?"

Everyone's hands dropped

"Good, I thought I was losing you there for a minute," Logan grunted. He went back his seat at the controls. No one spoke for the rest of the trip. There was more Logan could have told them. He could have told them about Weapon X being there. No, they needed to focus on finding Laura. Unfortunately, talking about what he knew of Weapon X could come to pass. This could not have been coincidence that Laura was so close to where _everything _began.

--

The surrounding area around Mt. McKenna was covered in snow, at least good four or five feet. As soon as they landed, Logan struck out on his own, like usual. He gave his team a simple objective, "Nothing else matters out here until we find Laura, got it?"

Everyone understood. Scott took point as he, Jean, and Rogue made their way through the woods. Everyone made a point to be aware of their immediate surroundings with Sabertooth in the area. If they were going to encounter him he'd have the advantage. With the snow, it was particularly hard to move quietly as they searched for Laura; Sabertooth would know where to find them from miles away.

Realizing this, Scott thought to Jean, telling her to keep the three of them in telepathic contact at all times to minimize the noise they made.

_Sure thing, Scott,_ Jean thought back.

_Code names in the field, sweetie, _Scott smiled at Jean.

_Better not be my codename out here,_ Jean playfully thought to him.

Rogue noticed they were exchanging expressions and immediately knew what was up. A private telepathic conversation. She simply rolled her eyes. While it was not against them, Rogue wondered if they realized that it was rude on a whole new level.

_Sorry, Rogue. Scott and I should have known better. Especially in the field,_ Jean's voice echoed in her head, causing her jump a bit. It was impossible to get used to people all of a sudden deciding to start speaking inside your head.

_Snoopin' in mah head again? _Rogue glared at Jean.

_You were thinking pretty loud, _Rogue looked away slightly embarrassed. She made a point to keep her thoughts "quieter".

--

Logan moved through the woods keeping his eyes and ears sharp. His smelt Sabertooth all over the place, along with Laura. It was hard trying to get a trail. He found Laura had done a lot of doubling back and evasion. She crossed a frozen stream here and there, but Logan could still get a scent.

The sound of a twig snapping made Logan whip around in the direction of the noise. Sabertooth's smell was getting stronger, but Logan saw nothing that told him where he exactly he was. Instinctively his claws unsheathed, waiting for one of his adversary's signature ambushes to be unleashed.

Logan continued forward, following Laura's scent. While hers stayed relatively the same in potency, Sabertooth's continued to grow. The trail led him to a small quarry hidden among the fir trees. There was nothing in the pit but snow, some snow-covered boulders, and a spatter of blood on the snow. It definitely smelt like a trap to Logan. Sabertooth's scent, the lack of visibility and the elevation of the whole setting was a distinct giveaway.

"What's your game, Sabertooth?" Logan wondered to himself. It was not beyond Sabertooth to create traps, but they always involved live bait. Often women. He hated that about Sabertooth the most.

Logan turned tail, planning on going around, but he was already in too deep. As he took a step away from the pit his feet sunk two feet into the snow. It was looser than the snow he had walked on so far; it had been recently disturbed. As he tried to pull his feet out, he heard something bigger than a twig snap. Before Logan could duck a tree branch came whipping around its trunk, plowing into Logan's chest.

"Gah!" Logan howled as he felt the branch plow into him, knocking him out of the snow into the middle of the pit. It all happened so fast that he did not even realize that the branch was wrapped with razor wire until it wrapped around his body. So there he lay, wind knocked out of him, cut up, tangled up in the bit of razor wire that broke off from the branch.

"I can't believe you missed it. You're getting old, Logan," a gravelly, sadistic voice called out. Where it came from, it indicated Sabertooth was there, and real close. Logan stood up, pulling off the bits of razor wire that clung to his body. He readied himself for Sabertooth's attack, knowing it was imminent now that the taunts had started, "That clone of yours doesn't like to play nice. Fell for the same trick myself."

"Good… ugh… girl," Logan winced as he pulled the last bit of razor wire off of his arm, "Picking on little girls again, Creed? I becoming too much for you to handle?"

"Means to an end, runt," Sabertooth growled again. Logan still could not tell where he was, "We still have unfinished business."

Sabertooth burst out of the snow behind Logan, snarling and smiling murderously. Logan turned just in time to have a handful of snow smashed into his eyes, blinding him. He clawed blindly, feeling only air before Sabertooth grabbed his neck and tossed him into a boulder. His back hurt from the impact against the unforgiving boulder, but Logan stood back up, his vision clear. Sabertooth charged at him, claws first.

Logan waited. Sabertooth was predictable now that they were facing eachother. No more cloak and dagger. Just them and their guts. When Sabertooth was close enough, Logan leapt and pushed off of the boulder diving straight for his enemy. He knocked Sabertooth to the ground and his adamantium claws claimed flesh.

Sabertooth roared in pain, but fought through it. Both savage men's adrenaline kicked into high gear as they tried to put the other through as much pain as they could. Despite the injuries they both sustained, they healed and resumed their deadly dance. The pit soon was equally red and white.

There were instances where Logan tried to break from the fight so he could try and find Laura, but Sabertooth kept pulling him back into the pit.

"Not today, Wolverine!" Sabertooth roared, viciously pounding Logan with his bare fists, and slashing with his claws. He paused and left Logan lying in the snow only to turn back to him with one of his arms and a fist wrapped in the razor wire Logan had just removed from his person, "You were born here, you will die here!"

He lifted Logan up from the snow and punched him in the face, hard. Sabertooth was unrelenting. He knew that he had to keep dishing out the hurt at a faster rate than Logan's healing. So far it was working. Logan was getting sluggish and sloppy. Soon he had seemingly given up on fighting completely. Another punch from Sabertooth's razor wired arm was enough to immobilize Logan.

"You never could handle me in a one on one fight," Sabertooth taunted, he forced Logan's head beneath the snow, and began to squeeze around his neck, "Say I'm stronger and maybe I'll end it quickly."

"Mmmhnnnd," Sabertooth lifted Logan's head out of the snow.

"I can't hear you!" Sabertooth growled. Logan laughed, bewildering Sabertooth.

"Behind," Logan said clearly.

"Hup!" a light, smooth voice belted out.

Sabertooth felt a cold sharp pain rip across his back, "RAAH!"

Before he could turn he felt a series of bladed jabs tack into him. He began to feel woozy from the blood loss. All the places he felt his skin punctured were critical aortas. He began to feel dizzy and soon lost his balance from blood loss. He was far from dead though.

He turned to face his new attacker and saw _her_.

"You…" Sabertooth grumbled. It was Laura.

Certain that their enemy was temporarily dispatched, Laura turned to Logan. Logan saw that usually emotionless face filled with concern, "Weapon X…"

She knelt down next to Logan, who was still recovering. Now that Sabertooth's onslaught was temporarily suppressed, he could heal. Logan's vision was slightly blurred but he could make out his immediate surroundings.

"Hey kid," he muttered. She looked concernedly at his tattered and torn body as it slowly pieced itself together, "Been through a hell of a lot worse, don't worry."

BAM!

A sniper shot rang out whizzing past Laura's head, she lowered herself to the ground and rolled out of the way. She unsheathed her claws ready to fight.

"Laura… run!" Logan barked, he still had a fair share of open wounds, but he stood up in front of her, "Run! There are others here with me! Find them! Go!"

Nervously, Laura turned and ran away. Logan made a point to see she was running toward the crescent of the mountain. She was seeking the higher ground. Smart girl.

He turned back towards the source of the sniper shot and saw a tan, brunette woman stride out of the trees: Kimura, "Ah… the famous Weapon X. I guess your friend Creed over there was right about you coming out here. I have no beef with you, so stand aside."

"Not going to happen," Logan grunted. Kimura sighed, quickly drew her sidearm and fired at Logan. He dodged the shots and zigzagged toward her. When he was close enough he slashed at her chest. Surprise overtook him as his claws bounced off of her skin. She smiled, stuck her tongue out and kicked Logan between the legs. He fell to his side, holding himself.

"Heal _that_," Kimura blew a kiss at Logan and She considered rousing Sabertooth to help her track Laura down, but she needed Logan occupied. Isolate your enemy.

As soon as the pain was tolerable, Logan rose to his hands and knees as Sabertooth finished recovering from his own injuries.

"Keep him busy," Kimura muttered to Sabertooth, who growled with pleasure.

They were just about to resume their bloody feud when Sabertooth and Kimura began to float above the ground. Logan turned to see Jean, Scott and Rogue.

As Jean held the two enemies aloft, Scott stepped forward and let loose with his optic blast. The crimson concussive force slammed into Sabertooth. Kimura pulled a gun on them and aimed for Jean. Scott pushed her out of the way of the shot as she fired. Kimura and Sabertooth regained their footing.

Sabertooth went for Logan again, while Kimura headed for Rogue, Scott and Jean.

"Rogue, find Laura. I…I think she's heading up the mountain," Jean said to her as Scott began to fight Kimura, "We'll handle these two!"

Rogue nodded and headed straight for the mountain crest. As she made her way up she found a set of fresh footprints. They were small and heading where she was. She must have been on the right track. She became even more certain upon finding an unnatural entrance to inside of the mountain. It looked like the exterior of some secret military base. It must have been the place of the old government program Logan mentioned.

Cautiously she approached the door. The fact that it was sliced open made it definite; Laura was here. Rogue crept through the fresh opening in the metal door. What she could see inside was ruins. Something or someone had torn this place to pieces. There were old scorch and slash marks along the wall. All Rogue could infer was that whatever happened here, it was very violent.

Once she got a little deeper, Rogue found that the peak of the mountain had been blown completely off, likely by the same explosion that tore this place apart. All the questions buzzing in her mind about this mission and only one permeated to the surface, "Anyone here?"

Silence.

"Laura? It's okay, Ah'm a friend of Logan's," Rogue called out. There was still no response. Eventually Rogue happened upon what seemed to be the center of the facility. It looked like some old containment room, but with all the destroyed equipment, rubble from the mountain, and snow it was hard to be certain.

"Laura?" Rogue called out again. This time she got an answer.

"What are you doing here?" an even-toned voice said from above. Rogue jumped away and looked up to see Laura hanging from the ceiling with her claws. She hopped down and landed barely making a sound. She eyed Rogue in an unnerving fashion. Rogue felt like she was being sized up and assessed in how it would be easiest to kill her, which was not too far from what Laura was doing, "You are from the mansion, aren't you? Yes, I recognize you."

Laura's claws slipped back into her arms, causing Rogue to relax. She knew she had nothing to fear from her, "You should not have come."

"Why? Logan said ya needed help," Rogue answered. Laura disregarded her answer and made her way deeper into the room. She tried to activate various consoles strewn around the room, but everything there was dead.

"All of you are in danger now. The people after me will kill you if you get in their way," Laura cautioned Rogue.

"It ain't nothin' we ain't used to," Rogue followed Laura as she scavenged, "What are ya doin'?"

"Searching."

Laura search led both girls to a room with a shattered containment cell and health monitors, long destroyed, "This…This is where it all began."

"What?"

"What made me possible," Laura answered, her tone sounded slightly shaken, "It is not what I expected. I thought I would find some clue here."

"A clue to what?" Rogue pressed. Laura met her eyes.

"How to stop the project that created me," Laura answered. She began to leave only to be stopped by Rogue.

"Listen, Ah don't know what you went through. Ah can't imagine it was any better than whatever happened to Logan," Rogue began. It did not register with her that she could have easily lost an arm for getting in Laura's way. Laura tried to push past her again, but was forcefully stopped by Rogue.

"I know what Logan wants me to do! He wants me to go to the mansion and try to fit in and have a normal life. I can't! I am not normal! You have no idea what I went through," Laura shouted, she was trying to keep a grip on her feelings. With all her memories clawing at her skull, it was getting really hard. Rogue would not budge though.

"Ah don't know exactly, sure. But trust meh, Ah know not bein' normal, not havin' control," Rogue said calmly, "People lahke us? We'll never be normal. But that doesn't mean we can't have good lives.

Laura stopped trying to push through Rogue. That raised her spirits a bit, she was actually going to listen to her, "Ah was just lahke you awhile ago. Tryin' to understand who Ah am. Hell, tryin' to understand what Ah am. Maybe if you let some people in, lahke Ah did, you'll get that good life."

"You have seen who is after me. If I join you-"

"You'll be in just as much danger as the rest of us. We're mutants, girl, the world is dangerous for people lahke us," Rogue began to close the distance between her and Laura, "Ah'm not going to try and convince you of anythin'. Just know that we can help you… Ah can help you."

"I do not want to run anymore," Laura stammered.

"With us, you won't have to," Rogue took the risk and placed a hand on Laura's shoulder. She was the second woman to show her kindness. Laura mulled over her options in her head. From a tactical standpoint, having allies would be beneficial to her mission to take down all of her creators. There were other benefits to joining the X-Men beyond these though.

"On one condition."

--

Back in the forest, Sabertooth and Kimura had been dispatched. It took Jean a bit, but she managed to lull both mercenaries into something like a trance. She did what she could to alter their memories so they would not be able to clearly recall their reasons for being around Mt. McKenna. Whatever Jean did, it would only be temporary. Her telepathy was nowhere near as potent as Xavier's; he could have easily wiped their recent memories.

Scott and Logan tied both of them to a tree and debated what they should do with them.

"Well, we can't kill them, unfortunately," Logan grumbled. He knew that in the back of Scott and Jean's minds they believed just a little that was the right thing to do. But X-Men did not kill. Xavier's vision had no room for bloodshed on the X-Men's part.

"Think we should call SHIELD? It would be a relief having these two locked somewhere dark for awhile," Scott suggested. Logan did not like the idea outright. Trying to keep Laura a secret from Nick Fury was more important to him than having these two locked up. Logan could not be certain if Sabertooth and Kimura were supposed to keep it a secret that Laura was still alive. Jean was unable to lift anything from their minds that indicated that either way. For all they new Laura was damned if they did, damned if they did not. However, neither Sabertooth or Kimura likely had the means to prove Laura was still alive without exposing their employers. That was one thing Logan could count on.

"We'll contact SHIELD as soon as you get Laura far away from here as possible," Logan answered, "I'll feed Fury some story of why I was up here. He usually buys what I have to say."

He caught Rogue's scent in the wind. Laura's too. They were together. In moments both young women came through the trees surrounding the pit. Logan gave Rogue an approving smile and nod. She succeeded in doing what he could not with Laura.

He looked Laura up and down. She looked like she was doing well physically, it would be another story mentally though once the professor checked her out.

"Hey kid," Logan greeted her, "You sticking with us this time?"

Laura nodded, "Yes."

Logan forgot she was a quiet one mostly, "Go with these people. They'll take you somewhere safe. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Laura looked over at Sabertooth and Kimura, visibly concerned.

"Don't worry about them," Logan reassured her, "They won't be bothering us any time soon."

Laura cautiously nodded

"Slim, take good care of her," Logan's words came out soft, his sensitive side beginning to seep through his pores, "Consider that a standing order for all of you."

"You got it, Wolverine," Scott acknowledged, "Come on Laura, our plane is this way."

Scott and Jean began to escort Laura, although she kept close to Rogue. Logan called Rogue back for a second and Laura stopped in her tracks, not budging. Logan took note of that.

"How'd you do it?" Logan asked her bluntly. Rogue was smug.

She simply answered, "Woman's touch."

Logan raised an eyebrow, not sure what to do with that answer, "Whatever. Hey, she seems to… I don't know… like you. Do I even need to ask?"

Rogue shook her head, "Ah said Ah'd be there for her before she even said yes. Count on it."

"Thanks, Stripes. Go on, get out of here," Logan ordered.

As soon as the jet was airborne and over the horizon, Logan called in a SHIELD cleanup team. Fury made an appearance as he expected. Logan told him half-truths; he said he was up here looking for clues to his past, which was not far from the truth, when he was attacked. Fury eyed Logan closely, suspicious, but not enough to voice his thoughts.

"Two people who wanted to kill you and you didn't kill them. Forgive me if I find it hard to believe you're following Xavier's no-kill policy," Fury laughed to his self.

"Up yours too, Fury," Logan grunted walking away from the site.

"So Logan, what happened to your bike? That is how you travel usually, except for that jet and helicopter at the mansion, right?" Logan just kept walking, knowing that if he indulged Fury that would just put the whole situation under a microscope, "Have a nice walk!"

--

Scott flew back around to pick Logan up as soon as it was all clear. As soon as they could, Logan had them set the jet to autopilot, finally sitting down with Laura. Rogue took the opportunity to inform him that Laura would only stay with them on one condition. Not exactly what he wanted to hear, but he could not blame her. He did the same when he joined.

"What's the dealbreaker kid?" Logan asked Laura.

"You help me end the project that created me," Laura answered. Everyone but Rogue exchanged glances. She thought it seemed reasonable Laura wanted to stop others from going through what she did.

"Didn't we do that a couple months ago?"

Based on Laura's chilling expression, no they did not.

"I am not the only weapon made by this project," Laura pulled something from her jacket, a microscope slide with a black and splotch. Everyone looked closer and saw it try to escape the glass that held it. It was moving; it was very much alive, "This will lead us to the ones who made me."

--

**A/N: Let me know what you think! Any guesses what that black specimen is?**

**Next Chapter(s): How that sample came into Laura's possession. Introduction of an OC.**


	3. The Runner

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel-related content.**

**A/N: Forgive the initial extensive dialogue. Yes it was necessary otherwise you'd be reading a chapter full of terrible exposition and flashbacks. **

Chapter 3: The Runner

Laura recounted her story of why she fled New York City to the X-Men with her. Jean and Rogue got a little queasy when she began to get into details of how she dispatched some of her enemies. It was not her fault though; debriefings always had to be thorough as per standard operating procedure. Logan mentioned to her she could spare them the gory details unless it was absolutely important.

"Alright, you fled the city, then what? How did you get all the way up to Mt. McKenna?" Logan asked.

"Since my cover had been compromised I needed help planning my next move," Laura explained, "The doctor responsible for making me, she helped me set up a low-profile living in New York. Logically, she was the one to help me out."

"Risman?" Logan asked, surprised. Last he heard she was still in witness protection under SHIELD.

"Yes. But when I finally contacted her, this came up," Laura indicated the microscope slide with the black substance, "Risman was contacted by an old colleague, another scientist behind my creation named Arthur Blackwood. She told me that he needed help defecting to SHIELD."

"From HYDRA?" Logan asked.

"No," Laura answered, "I don't know who. Doctor Risman told me that my creation was a joint project between HYDRA and some other organization. Blackwood worked for them."

"Back up," Scott interrupted, "So you went from trying to disappear to trying to find this scientist?"

"Yes," Laura answered plainly, "If my creation was a joint effort, and HYDRA is being dismantled, then the people who are after me are this other organization. Blackwood is my only lead to find them."

"Did you find Blackwood?" Logan asked.

Laura shook her head, "Yes. I arranged to meet him in at the Weapon X facility. That is why I was at Mt. McKenna. Unfortunately our meeting was interrupted and he only had time to slip me this sample, and an address to meet him at. He said 'find the rest of Scourge, you find the people who are after you'."

Logan exchanged looks with the others. They all sat silently, unsure what to make of what they just heard.

"The Scourge?" Jean asked, about as puzzled by the information as everyone else.

"It probably is the colloquial term for what this came from," Laura answered.

"So, what now? We search for whatever this came from?" Logan asked.

"Yes," Laura answered, the black splotch continued to skirt around the slide, unable to escape it seemed. It was eerie seeing something that small act so alive, "Finding the Scourge means we will have come closer to finding the people who are after me."

"What happens when we find them?" Scott asked, finally breaking his silence.

"We make sure they stop making weapons," Laura answered, Scott's brow furrowed.

"What happens specifically?" Scott pushed his question harder.

"…" Laura did not give his question satisfaction. She looked at Logan who knew exactly what she would do when she found these new pursuers. She'd do what they were best at, "It is not your concern."

"Leave it alone, Slim," Logan grunted. Scott gave him a glare, but he still kept his thoughts to himself. Jean knew what he was thinking and agreed: X-Men do not kill. Neither of them had any idea what Laura was capable of though. It did not matter what they thought; if Laura was intent on killing someone, nothing would stop her. Not even allies.

Logan turned back to Laura, "So, where do we begin?"

--

Laura took the X-Men with her to the address Dr. Blackwood gave her. It was a building of condos in New York's city surrounded by many other similar buildings and various construction. The building complex was well-kept and quiet, all in all unremarkable in many ways. It was the kind of low-profile location people could live if they could afford it. Undoubtedly, Blackwood's former employers paid well if they were able to contribute to Laura's creation.

While Scott, Rogue and Jean kept an eye on the street outside the building, Laura and Logan investigated the building.

Logan had a quick talk with the concierge with hopes of getting some particular background or intel on Blackwood. The concierge was vague on the details.

"Dr. Blackwood kept to himself, sir. Workaholic if I may so," the concierge answered, very posh.

"Kept? You're aware that he's been… away for awhile?" Logan asked, watching the concierge closely.

The concierge took a breath and answered pointedly, "I'm only the concierge, sir. I am supposed to know when residents are taking extended leaves of absence."

Logan sniffed humorously, "Whatever, bub. Thanks for the info."

"Sir, might I ask what you're business is with Dr. Blackwood? Are you with the police?" the concierge asked.

"No, we're just dropping in to say hi," Logan lied, walking away. He motioned for Laura to follow. Time to take action. With no idea what they were going to find, Logan told her to stay behind him, and stay close, "Guy at the front desk may have been holding something back. Stay sharp."

The concierge continued to watch the two of them until they disappeared into the elevator. He immediately picked up the phone and dialed Blackwood's condo. A few rings and finally the receiver on the other end clicked. It was a silent answer.

"Mr. Blackwood... a pair of peculiar individuals were just inquiring about your father… No, but they're on their way up now… of course sir," the receiver clicked again, ending the call.

--

Logan and Laura got off on the fifth floor and reached the outside of Dr. Blackwood's condo. As they got closer, Laura and Logan sniffed the air coming from it hoping to get a clue to what awaited them on the other side.

"One male, 16-18 years old, testosterone, hormones, deodorant…," Laura muttered, assessing what she could from the scents.

There was someone talking inside the apartment, rather a recording. The sounds of a micro-cassette player rotating its spokes could be heard beneath the voice. Laura and Logan were able to understand some of it, thanks to their enhanced hearing, "That is Dr. Blackwood's voice."

"For what I have done, I cannot be forgiven. I played God without realizing the ramifications. I think I know why the Venom Project was shut down and swept under the rug. Dealing with its spawn, which I made possible… it has only brought hell down upon us all. I can't say for certain what it's capable of yet but they're pushing ahead with weaponizing it. For all the uses that Scourge has, they wanted a weapon. So now you understand why I need you to keep this from happening. You know why I need you… Forgive me, son, for all the time I was not there and for asking you this after all of that. If that cop uncle of yours taught you anything that I could not, I hope it was a willingness to do what's necessary… what's right. I pray that I'll see you again."

The audio recording ended, and Logan and Laura heard some subsequent shuffling inside. Just as he was getting ready to knock, the door opened. Standing there was a young man, 18 years old at least. He had short, dark brown hair, green eyes eyes, and a slim, athletic build. He was wearing jeans, a pair of running shoes, and a hoody with a black leather jacket on top. For about three seconds everyone just stood still staring. The young man in the door took one last look at the grim-looking duo outside of his door and slammed it in their faces.

"Ah hell, here we go," Logan grunted as he tried to open the door. The kid was fast with locking the door though. Laura immediately sliced the deadbolt and kicked the door in. The kid was nowhere in sight when they got inside.

"You should have grabbed him," Laura said plainly.

"Not now!" Logan hushed. Laura began to sniff again and pointed toward the balcony. They rushed over and peered out to see the man making his way up the building quickly. He was mad; climbing without the assistance of ropes? Falling from a seven story building past the fifth floor was more than enough to kill.

Logan turned to see Laura already scrambling up the side of the building with her claws. Logan began to climb up after both of them, cursing between breaths, "Cyke, we got a runner. Follow us on the street if you can.

Laura climbed much faster, thanks to her foot claws, and reached the top of the building hot on the runner's tail. This was like chasing down a target, only this time the objective was not to kill. Laura considered the best way to take the runner down with out killing him. Parameters were relatively vague at the moment, making it all the more difficult.

When the runner reached the edge of the building he did not break his run. With all the buildings in close proximity, leaps of faith were not as risky to someone who knew how to move. This runner seemed to know plenty. Laura reached the edge just as the runner landed on top of a shorter building. She watched his form attentively, sizing him to figure out the best strategy to use against him.

She saw him land on the balls of his feet and break into a somersault, and with a certain grace and little flair, back into a run. Laura made the same jump and continued her pursuit. What she saw told her two things: he was no novice at this and he knew his escape routes. This one was trained in some capacity.

The runner mantled over air ducts and leapt over small obstacles scattered across the rooftops, not once looking behind him. Smart, Laura deduced. He was trying to his way down to the street.

_Target attempting to decrease altitude… must have alternate means of escape. Can't let him escape. Might have information about Scourge,_ Laura rattled off in her mind, pushing herself to move faster.

They were only about three stories above the street now, but the runner was running out of buildings in jumping distance. The next building he tried to move to was in early stages of construction, and only reachable by a few rickety planks of wood. This was Laura's chance to close the gap between her and him. He mounted the planks and began to cross cautiously. He was about halfway across when Laura reached the planks. She eyeballed his distance to the ground: two stories. The fall would not kill him.

_Snikt!_

"Stop or I'll cut the boards!" Laura called after the runner. He paused in the middle of the bridge and turned just enough to see her. They stood about eight feet apart. The runner took one look at Laura's unsheathed claws and at the street below him. His options were not great: fall two stories into a dirty alley, try to leap eight feet to the next building, or go to the girl with metal claws jutting between her knuckles. He looked at Laura's face seeing it was expressionless. A hell of a poker face. Given she had pursued him this far, he had a feeling she would cut the planks to keep him from getting away.

_Got to try and make it to the other side,_ the runner decided it was the best of the three avenues he could take. He turned back toward his goal and hoped to god the crazy chick behind him was bluffing. Then he heard it, and immediately felt the cost of his decision. The planks gave way and the runner screamed he began to fall into the alley below. Laura saw him falling level to the ground. He would walk way with paralysis at worst, a few broken bones at best. The runner closed his eyes out of reflex, waiting for the big hit to come, but it never did.

Before the runner hit the ground he felt his body suddenly decelerate with the assistance of some invisible force. He opened his eyes and found himself floating three feet over a stagnant puddle in the alley. The force let go and he fell to the ground in a heap, more than a little damp. He got to his feet quickly and came face to face with three other individuals. Jean, Scott and Rogue surrounded him.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked to the runner. The runner eyed the three of them and was about to answer when he heard metal scraping against brick. He looked up and saw Laura sliding down the building. In a panic he pushed through the Scott, knocking him over into Jean, "Gah, we just want to talk!"

The runner paid his words no heed and continued to run. Logan slid down the building not long after Laura reached the ground and resumed her pursuit.

"Come on, we better catch up before she tries killing him again," Logan grunted in annoyance.

The runner took a quick glance behind him, against his better nature, and did not like what he saw. Five strangely dressed people sporting strange clothing were chasing after him. One had proven she was willing to hurt him to get to him if need be. His instinct told him to run, despite what one of them said. He could not for the life of him figure out how he pissed off a group of muties to necessitate this chase. Then again, helping his father was risky in itself.

The runner took a couple side streets until he reached a main street. He knew his pursuers were not far behind and that he needed to increase his distance from them. That's exactly what brought him to the main street. He took a look down both ways, and ran for the closest set of stairs leading into the subway tunnels.

He mantled over the railing and skipped the stairs completely. He heard the loud clamping of boots on cement floors and knew that Laura and Logan were still hot on his heels. Scott, Jean and Rogue were not that far behind either. He reached the security checkpoint and slid over the pay station only to have a guard scream after him to stop. Like he was going to stop for him? Laura followed suit, ignoring the guard's protests to pay the entry fee. The guard gave up as soon as Logan ignored the pay station as well, simply cursing under his breath about more crazies loose in the streets.

The runner reached the platform and could not believe his luck when there was a subway car already there. He rushed aboard the car and waited anxiously for the doors the seal shut. Laura pushed her way through the crowds of people, trying to get to the car before it departed. Not once did her eyes sway from the runner. She saw his expression through the dirty, graffitied window of the subway car. He was muttering to himself, like so many of her targets did when cornered. Some prayed, others cursed at her. He was probably just egging the doors to shut before she got any closer. A small hissing noise and he sighed, relieved. The doors closed and Laura stood outside the car, defeated. The runner leaned up against the side of the car and began to breathe deep. He got away.

Logan lost Laura through the crowds and saw a train getting ready to leave. Instinct told him that Laura was probably heading for it. He heard the announcement over the intercom saying it was about to depart. He cursed; he was too far away. He spotted Laura making a final sprint for the train as it began to pull away from the platform. He tried to keep his eyes on her but the crowd became too dense. When the train disappeared into the tunnel, he tried to spot Laura. But like the runner, she too had gotten away from him.

"Damn it!" Logan barked, finally getting to the platform. He scanned his surroundings quickly, trying to pick her out. Laura was gone for sure. He growled, slamming his fist into a pillar leaving minor cracks before muttering under his breath, "Not again."

His team mates caught up finally, soon realizing what had happened. Rogue went over to Logan and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Logan, we'll fahnd them. Ya know we will."

Logan shrugged her hand off and turned to all of them, "Get back to the mansion and let Chuck know what happened. I'll have a better chance of tracking them alone."

"Not going to happen, Logan," Scott put his foot down right there, a poor move on his part.

"It's not up to you, Slim. Laura's my business and the only reason you all came along was to handle things up at Mt. McKenna," Logan growled. He calmed his tone a bit, "You may be team leader Cyke, but when it comes to Laura my say is the final say."

Of all the people to come and defend Logan's opinion, no one expected Rogue to speak up about it, "Scott, Logan's just lookin' out for family. Would you want anyone else takin' care of your brother if he was in trouble?"

Scott glared coldly at Rogue behind his ruby visor, and falter she did not. He thought about her words and had to agree out of principle. He turned back to Logan, "Daily updates, that's non-negotiable. You come across a situation where you need backup, you call. Got it?"

Logan had to smile. For a brief moment between his annoyance with Scott's persistence, he took some pride in this moment. He trained Scott well, although he was not about to admit it to his face. He settled with a simple, "Whatever you say."

--

Laura had accomplished three things by grabbing onto the end of the subway car. She ensured she would keep up with her target, she now had the element of surprise, and she had lost the X-Men. She detected a conflict of interests when Scott pressed her about how she was going to deal with Blackwood's associates. They needed to die; there was no other option available.

She clung tightly to the back of the subway train peeking inside to make sure the runner was still there. Her plan was not to pounce on him right from the get-go. He was her best lead right now, and if he was headed somewhere in particular, it could prove all the more valuable to pursue him discreetly.

They had passed a few stops, and he was still on the train. She had a feeling that this was a ploy to make sure he shook his pursuers. When the subway train began to slow this time, she saw him depart. Laura crept along the side of the train and mingled into the crowd, tracking the runner. He took the occasional cautious look behind him just to make sure he was not being followed. In those instances Laura kept him in her peripheral vision. All tails could be made if they ever make eye contact.

He threw his hood up and made his way out of the station, oblivious that he was still in the woods. The hood would help against someone who was tracking him via sight, but Laura had managed to pick up his scent. The condo gave her enough of a sample to recognize.

She continued to follow the runner for an hour. He took detours through side streets and alleys, further confirming that someone had instructed him in various skills that had allowed him to be as evasive as he was. It was very atypical for someone in their age group. Laura considered the possibility that he was like her but that was a reach. Only Wolverine was like her.

Laura was led on an obscure trail, involving a lot of doubling back on the runner's part. He was being careful, trying to ensure he was not being followed. At one point he took to the building rooftops for a while. Laura still tracked him though. His scent made it easier for her to hang back further to avoid getting made. Finally her pursuit took her across the Queensboro Bridge into Queens. Rain began to fall, necessitating Laura keep closer to maintain visual contact. If the rain became heavy enough, she'd lose his scent.

The runner seemed secure with his situation now, convinced that he had truly shaken all pursuers. He turned into quaint little inn. It was not a cesspool to say the least, but the turnover rate looked like it could be by the hour. Maybe less. Each room had a small patio or deck to make it more appealing, supposedly. Laura saw them as infiltration points when the occasion called for it. She had stayed in these types of places on occasion during missions. It was about three stories tall, had one way out by car. All in all, it was a small establishment that did not attract attention. It made sense that the runner would choose this place to lay low.

Laura watched the runner make his way back to his room from parking lot exit, not minding the cold rain that soon left her soaked. He was staying in a third floor room, likely not by his own preference. If his actions thus far proved anything, Laura figured he would have gone for one of the ground-level rooms. Laura followed the runner's trail, passing people from various lots in life. Some were business men escorting their mistresses to and from a room and others were much like Laura in that they were lying low. Some probably even lived there for varying reasons.

Laura reached the runner's room finding the blinds drawn, but the balcony probably was an option. Nimbly, Laura pulled herself onto the roof and clambered over onto the balcony to the runner's room. Blinds were open and he was not in the room. Laura peered in and saw the fluorescent light escaping from under the bathroom door just inside the room. He was there.

Quietly, she slid the door open and crept on into the room. There was the musky scent of sex, long past. The runner's scent was all over the room, telling her he had been here for at least a couple of days. Running water pattered against a body and wall; he was showering. Laura took the time to peruse the room, hoping to find out who this guy was. There was a small single strap back pack with a few extra clothes on the bed, nothing worth noting. A small laptop sat alone on the desk, attended to only by a small notepad and pen. The wall paper was cheap and had that usual piss color so many motels seemed to cater to.

Laura felt the specimen inside her jacket jostle around. She pressed it tightly against her chest, as if trying to calm it. That's when she noticed she no longer heard water flowing. She looked around the room and rearranged the few items she did disturb. She needed to maintain the element of surprise.

There was some shifting and ruffling from the bathroom. The runner was likely dressing. Laura pressed herself up against the wall next to the bathroom door and unsheathed her claws slowly. The door knob turned and promptly retreated into the bathroom. The runner emerged, oblivious to what waited for him beyond until a pair of cold metal claws rested against his neck.

"The bed. Slowly," Laura hissed. The runner turned his eyes slightly to his right and saw her. Shock and awe gripped his face as it contorted. His jaw hung open, unable to form words. He swore he lost her good back on Manhattan. He was sure of it. Reality was very much the contrary though

He felt the sharp edge of the claws press against his neck and he did as he was told. He sat down on the bed, hands raised. Laura patted him down with her blades still flush against his jugulars. She felt his back pocket and pulled a wallet out and tossed it on his lap. He was clean.

The runner was the first to speak up, "Let's not do anything we'll both regret."

Laura did not acknowledge his statement. She simply went straight into her own questions, "Who are you? What were you doing in Arthur Blackwood's residence?"

The runner swallowed, keeping calm, "My name is Desmond. Desmond Blackwood. I should ask you the same thing. That was my dad's place after all."

Desmond reached down to his lap, immediately causing Laura to pressed her claws harder against his neck. He inhaled sharply, "I'm just grabbing my ID. Proof, understand?"

Laura motioned for him to do so. He flipped his wallet open so she could see and sure enough he was telling the truth. This meant a few things, firstly he was likely not one of the people after her, and that his father had commissioned him to help find Scourge.

Laura sheathed her claws, "You are not an enemy."

"Uh, no. Besides, you and your friends attacked me, remember?" Desmond said scornfully, he looked around carefully, "Speaking of your friends…"

"They are not here, and they won't be coming," Laura explained.

"So, since you're not here to kill me, you want to tell me why you're after me?" Desmond asked getting up. He rubbed his neck tenderly.

"Your father is trying to defect to SHIELD from his employers. I was sent to help him," Laura answered, "You were at the rendezvous point and you ran before we could exchange introductions. Naturally I assumed you could have been a threat, a lead, or both."

Desmond raised any eyebrow at her, "That's a little big for a girl your age."

"You will find I am capable of much more than my appearance implies," Laura replied. Desmond was not sure if he should laugh or take that seriously. He leaned more toward serious, given she did track him down. Most women he knew her age were… much different. Rather she was no ordinary woman if his brief, hostile interaction with her was any indication.

"I don't doubt it," Desmond murmured, "So you're just helping my dad because you're being nice."

"My personal motivations are not open for discussion," Laura answered curtly, "I imagine he told you about the Scourge."

"Yes, he said it was some bioweapon he was developing," Desmond said, "Should have figured he was in something like this."

"You did not suspect your father engineered weapons?" Laura asked.

"Not exactly. Didn't see him enough to get any suspicions," Desmond said bitterly. Laura did not understand this. From the day she could comprehend her life's situation she understood what those around her were up to. She had anger because of what she did know, not because of what she did not.

_I do not understand… irrelevant at the moment,_ Laura mused to herself.

"How'd you hear about it?" Desmond asked.

"He gave me a sample of it," Laura retrieved the slide from her jacket and handed it to Desmond. He examined it, baffled.

"Jesus, Dad, what were you up to?" he muttered.

"I was supposed to meet your father at his residence. Why was he not there?" Laura asked.

"He left me a message, saying he had to go underground before seeing me," Desmond answered. He went over to his leather jacket and retrieved the micro-cassette player.

The player clicked and played the message Laura listened in on earlier. The only thing new was the beginning part restating what Desmond already explained.

Desmond stopped the tape as soon as the message was over, "Whatever this Scourge symbiote-thing is, it's the only lead I have on finding my dad."

"Then our objective is the same," Laura said. Desmond nodded

"Guess this means we'll be working together for a bit," he said, "So, um… you have a name?"

Laura looked at him blankly and nodded.

"My name is Laura," she answered. She looked at his laptop, "We better go over our intelligence."

Desmond nodded with a smile, "Step into my office."

--

**A/N: Yes I know it took awhile for me to update, but you did not want to see the way this chapter looked in its last five drafts. That, school, and work have been eating up my time. I'll do what I can to keep the updates more frequent. I am NOT abandoning this story.**

**The focus is going to be on X-23 and Wolverine for the most part for a bit.**

**Next Chapter: Well I think I've made it obvious enough what Scourge is. The search for Scourge and the other organization behind Laura has begun.**

**Reviews welcome.**


	4. Seeking Scourge

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel properties**

**Sorry it took me a long time to post this one, again had to rewrite a few times to get it right where I wanted.**

**Reviews are welcome. Tell how the narration worked for this one (let me know how the time shifts work especially). Thanks for your patience and thanks to those of you who have reviewed.**

Chapter 4: Seeking Scourge

Logan managed to pick up Laura's trail a half hour after losing her. The smell of adamantium, female hormones, and adrenaline kept the trail fresh. Over the course of a few hours he had retraced her steps until he found himself outside of a motel room in Queens. He took a few extra sniffs of the exterior of the room just to make sure he was outside the right one. Quietly, he extended one of his claws, jimmied the lock open and let himself in. No one was home.

_Damn,_ Logan was not deterred. He took another deep sniff and began to sort out the smells. Cheap bar soap, water vapor, adamantium claws, leather, cheap deodorant and many more. He immediately picked out the man they were chasing earlier. There may not have been copious amounts of blood all over the room, but Logan was not convinced that Laura did not kill the runner. Given her background, Logan figured she knew how to kill without leaving a mark. Nothing looked disturbed though; at least nothing that would be used to move a body. No covers were missing from the bed, the shower curtains were still damp from someone's shower, and no carpet was missing. The scent of adrenaline was profuse, so something stressful must have happened. Interrogation? Maybe.

He moved to the bed and took it in, _old sex, a week old… what a friggin' dive._

Logan moved to the desk next. He could not get any particular smells aside from lithium. It was a hard scent to miss in this modern age of portable electronics. None of these scents mattered at this point. He went back to isolating Laura's scent and the runner's. Obviously they both had moved on. Logan moved out of the room and could have sworn that both of their scents were equally potent. They must have left at the same time. He ran over the possibilities in his head briefly, but disregarded them for the time being. No matter how much thought he put into maybes, it would not bring him closer to finding Laura again.

He looked through the room's closet, underneath the mattress, in the bathroom for odds and ends that may have clued Logan into where Laura was headed. He was tearing through the bed when he heard a set of footsteps coming closer toward the door. He unsheathed his claws and stacked up against the door, waiting. He looked out the peephole and saw Rogue. He cursed and threw open the door.

"What part of 'alone' don't you kids understand?" Logan growled annoyedly.

Rogue glared at him back, "Hey, Ah tried to explain that to them but the professor wanted someone with you. As soon as Scott told him what was goin' down he told one of us to keep on you."

"Great, this just gets better and better," Logan grumbled. He trusted the professor immensely but it was not often that he intervened like this, "How'd you get stuck with keeping up with me?"

"Ah volunteered," Rogue said, quite proud of it too, "You told me to look after Laura at Mt. McKenna, after all."

"Yeah, while I dealt with SHIELD," Logan growled. He was stuck with her in his charge, and at the very least he knew she was reliable, "Ah, whatever. Just keep close, Stripes. We're headed into unfamiliar territory here."

With a grunt, Logan followed the Laura's trail as it led away from the motel with Rogue in tow. He followed it until he reached a parking spot with a distinctive blue-green residue still discoloring the water it laid upon. The scent of residual car exhaust began and Laura's scent vanished. Tracking that would be impossible in, especially in any urban environment.

"Better call Chuck. Gonna need Cerebro to narrow the search."

--

_Desmond's Motel, a few hours ago_

"You do not have much," Laura commented on the information displayed on Desmond's laptop. The data came from a data stick he lifted from his father's apartment before getting chased. All they had to go on was a single folder from a portable data stick with a lot of information, mostly encrypted. Decryption was not Desmond's forte, nor Laura's. If they had a password, then total access would have been simple. The only information they had access to were some miscellaneous notes and a set of coordinates. They seemed rather out of place amongst what they had access to.

"It could be worse," Desmond grumbled at Laura's pessimistic tone, "Don't suppose you know anyone who might be able to get into the encrypted files?"

Laura shook her head, inciting a sigh from the young man next to her, "Well, it was worth a shot."

In truth, Laura did know a few contacts she picked up during her days with HYDRA, but no one she could trust. And those that she could, the X-Men, would only get in her way.

"Examine the coordinates," Laura ordered. Desmond gave her a look but did what she said.

"Should I be looking out for something in particular?" he asked typing the first one in.

"Not right now," Laura answered. She sat down cross-legged on the bed, letting her eyes wander to Desmond and any entrance to the room. She wanted to be prepared if either displayed any sign of danger, within or otherwise.

"Sat photo on Google Maps shows… some industrial park off of the New Jersey Turnpike, about a few miles away from any main road," Desmond said. Laura made a note in her head to investigate the area in person. Old industrial parks were prime real estate for covert military ops, big and small. That or it could have been a drop point for something. Although, in Laura's experience, drop points hidden in plain sight were more secure than those that were not. Looters were a constant risk when isolated. However, without knowing the context which the address was included, only speculation was possible.

Desmond began to look over what notes they had access to, "So why you?"

Laura stared at him oddly, "What?"

"Why you? How does someone like you get saddled with getting my dad to turn state's evidence?" Desmond asked, "Oh, the notes seem to be related to Scourge."

"He has information I need. As for how, my training included tracking rogue individuals," Laura answered pointedly. She looked at the notes, unable to understand it. Her grasp on science was limited to biology and human anatomy. HYDRA saw fit that she knew that in order to be a more efficient killer.

Desmond examined the data, but found it lacked much sense to him at all. He went back to his other questions, "So, uh, what training involves tracking people?"

Laura was silent. The purpose of his line of questioning was not helping them locate Scourge.

"I do not wish to discuss this. We should investigate address, before we visit it," she answered. Desmond was oddly struck with how she spoke. No slang, few contractions, very formal, no distinctive accent, and even-toned; all atypical for most women he knew her age. Her speech was stutter free and did not have any filler words. This only further confirmed his impressions of her. She was strange.

"Fine," Desmond snorted, agitated at her dodging the question, "Well, the industrial park is a few hours away. I'll see what I can dig up on it. Might as well dig in for the night," he suggested. Laura immediately disagreed.

"We need to keep moving," she argued.

"Expecting someone?" Desmond asked, shutting down his laptop. The last thing he needed was another chase while trying to find his father. Laura was of the same thought, but she knew Logan was already tracking them. It was what she would do if her target had gotten away

"Not if we abandon this location. Pack your things. I will procure transportation," Laura said insistently.

"How?"

"Pack," Laura said again firmly.

Was she ordering him around? Desmond, considering who had the claws, decided not to press the matter and followed Laura's… _suggestion._

It did not take him long to get packed; he tossed the few clothes he had into his sling pack and slid the small laptop in comfortably with them. He left his room promptly and dropped his key off at the front office. After waiting for about five minutes he saw Laura pull into the parking lot with a small sedan. He had a good idea of how she got it. It did not stop him from asking though. He went to the driver side expecting her to move over. He was a little perturbed when she did not. Reluctantly he resigned himself to shotgun.

"Where'd you get the car?" he asked redundantly. Laura shot him a glare.

"I changed the license plates," she countered.

"And if we get pulled over?" he asked, seemingly trying to keep her off-balance.

"We will _not_ have an encounter with local law enforcement," Laura said confidently

_Great, Desmond. You're in New York for a couple days and you already looking the other way around criminal behavior,_ he thought to himself. He put these kinds of thoughts to the side for the time being. This was about finding his father, "So where are we headed?"

"I have a few safehouses in the city. We'll stay at one of them if it is not compromised," Laura answered casually. Desmond looked at her wide-eyed.

"Safehouses. Okay, seriously, answers right now. What…Who the hell are you?" Desmond asked.

"I told you. My name is Laura," Laura answered, indifferent to Desmond's shock, "As for what I am you will have to be more specific."

Desmond slapped his palm to his face, "You're impossible, anyone ever tell you that?"

"…" Laura gave no response to his frustrations. His not providing specifics were not her problem. However, for the sake of keeping a low profile, she was willing to indulge his curiosity if it would get him to not act in a way that would draw attention to them, "I am a mutant."

"And?" Desmond pressed for more, he was well aware of mutants, but sure not all of them were so…strange.

"An assassin your father helped create," she continued, her voice became very terse, "I do not wish to discuss this."

"You're joking," he chuckled at her comment. An assassin? That was pushing what he could believe, even in a world where mutants have emerged. However, the look he got in response told him that she was not lying, "You're serious."

Her eyes fell for a second. Desmond saw her hands tense up on the steering wheel.

"Aw crap, I'm sorry," Desmond apologized, realizing he hit a nerve. It did give light to her motivations though, which worried him, "So the metal claws…"

"He was not responsible for that or my training. I said I do not wish to discuss this," Laura said, her voice still very curt and concise. She did notice Desmond's subtle apprehension. She had seen it in higher degrees when she looked upon her targets' family members before she killed them, "I do not plan on killing him. Or you."

"Um… thanks," Desmond said nervously, "And sorry for… you know, pressing the issue."

"…" Laura simply nodded, "Since you asked me questions, it is only fair I ask mine… and you answer."

"Touché," Desmond said, he eased back into his seat, "What do you want to know?"

"What type of training have you had? I would like to know your tactical strengths and weaknesses," Laura asked, it was broad yet to the point.

"Sure you would," Desmond muttered to himself, thinking she would not hear. The next glare he got said otherwise, "Sorry. Well, I grew up in my uncle's house. He's a police detective. He and my mother raised me. I want to do something like him after I done with school so he took me under his wing and taught me a few things."

"Did he teach you how to run the way you do?" Laura asked.

"No that was me on my own. You don't really learn the art of flight from someone whose job involves a lot of fight," Desmond answered, "So, yeah, I picked up some police skills. Informal, but effective. Nothing big."

Laura nodded and began to apply it to her strategies. She was accustomed to working alone, making this whole exercise… interesting to say the least. She just hoped Desmond operated well under stress, if her track record was any indication then they would be encountering a lot of it.

"Is your uncle aware of your father's defection?" Laura asked.

"He thinks I'm just visiting my dad for a week," Desmond answered.

They drove back toward Manhattan in silence. Desmond began going over what they did have along with the mental notes he took, and began to scribble on a small note pad tucked away in his jacket pocket. His mind was absorbed in trying to figure out his father's logic with leaving only partial clues around. Likely to cover his tracks so only a few could follow. Laura, at the same time, was going over the best tactical approaches to their situation. They would not be able to do much for the next few hours anyway. Her training dictated that she should always be prepared.

As soon as Laura secured the safehouse and Desmond hid their car, they got inside quickly. The inside of the safehouse was much like Laura's apartment before it was better furnished to blend in. Hardwood floors, a desk, a basic bathroom, and two cots, one for her and another for whoever her handler was when she was on a mission. It was smaller than the last safehouse she used but it would do for their brief stay. Both of them got settled in ways they were accustomed to: Desmond tossed his bag onto the desk and immediately went back to occupying himself with trying to dig up what information he could on the industrial park, Laura puttered around the safehouse making sure it was secure. They slept in shifts, anxiously waiting for the next step of their search.

--

The next morning Laura awoke to the sweet smell of mint tea, coffee, freshly cut fruits and freshly toasted bagels. She looked over on the desk and came to the proper conclusions. Desmond must have stepped out early to visit a nearby café. Two cups of tea, a cup of joe, two fruit cups, and a pair of bagels teased Laura. He had already claimed one of the cups of tea as his. A foolish act to step out and a breach in standard security protocol even if it was just for a quick breakfast run.

"You should have informed me you were leaving the safehouse," she scolded him, "We cannot afford mistakes."

"Good morning to you too," Desmond shrugged her comments off, claiming a cup of fruit and a bagel. He pointed toward what remained, "I wasn't sure what you drank. Hope it'll do."

"You risked security to acquire food," Laura restated, as if pining for some form of apology. It never came, and in its place something kin to a reprimand.

"When was the last time you ate?" Desmond countered, "Come on, I'll tell you what I found out."

His concerns did have merit, Laura judged. Her belly grumbled, egging her on to just eat. She eyed the pair of beverages and had a little conundrum: choice. All her life she had simply eaten what was given to her, what she could steal, or what was available to her when surviving in the wild. She never had been given choice of what to eat; she usually worried about what was the easiest and quickest source of sustenance that could be acquired when she was on her own. She sniffed the coffee and the tea, trying to detect if anything was strange about them. Her training was clear: be mindful of others' offerings. There were no hidden cocktails that she could smell, easing her concern. She gave the coffee a taste, but it was bitter to the tongue without any sweetener or milk. The tea was a little more bearable to her tastes, albeit, still burning hot. Better taste seemed as good enough reason to choose that.

They ate their breakfast in silence. Laura still considered Desmond's actions stupid. Even so, no one had given her food out of concern before. Laura did not know what to feel the, and fell back on her training. It told her to blend in right then, "Thank you for the food."

"No problem," Desmond answered, raising his cup of tea to her, "Alright, the industrial park was bought by some private company seven years ago. I tried looking into the company but I got nothing beyond a buggy website and some registry information."

"Why is this significant?" Laura asked.

"Well the real estate there is expensive, and there does not seem to be much going on there at all. I think the company that owns it is merely a shell company," Desmond explained, "I looked everywhere and haven't found anything on them. For all intents and purposes, this company exists only on the county registry. Something's going on there."

Laura's earlier suspicions about a military black project being active there seemed valid. Desmond's small investigation and his father's breadcrumb made it certain.

"So, what do you want to do?" Desmond asked.

"I want to look into this. The sooner the better," Laura answered, "I will need to change into more appropriate clothing. I do not wish to draw attention."

"Where are you going to-" Desmond broke from his question as soon as he saw Laura pull up the floorboard below her bed revealing a few pairs of clean clothes. Laura had similar stashes like this in the case her wet work got messy to the point of needing new clothes. She changed quickly in the bathroom, and emerged wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, boots, a tank top and a warm jacket with fur trim. Compared to her jumpsuit, she looked amazingly normal. Desmond would not have given her a second look as anything but another teenager if he had not known better.

"Is there something wrong?" Laura asked him, noticing he was sizing her up.

Desmond shook his head and collected his things, purposefully diverting his gaze elsewhere.

"Then we should get going," Laura said coolly. It still felt like she was calling the shots to Desmond. He had no problem with it, personally. She was a girl who focused on her objective and did what she needed to in order to accomplish it. If his being a grunt made it easier for them to find his father, then he would follow her lead.

--

_Many hours later_

Rogue and Logan sat outside of Cerebro waiting for an update from the professor. While they waited Logan would occasionally pop his claws in and out to pass the time. There was a stiff silence between him and Rogue. He could smell the curiosity coming off of her. If she really wanted to know, she would ask. They had been waiting hours, and Rogue was getting a little antsy.

"Ya sure you don't wanna check out any other places?" she asked. Logan grunted, which she took as a no, "How many places could she be?"

Logan gave her a look, telling her he was not going to dignify that question with an answer.

"Geez, sorry if Ah don't lahke the ahdea of just sittin' here doin' nothin'," Rogue said apprehensively.

"I'm open to suggestions, Rogue," Logan grunted, looking at the time. The sun was setting and it looked like it was going to rain. Logan could smell it in the air. Rogue did not offer any ideas up to how to find Laura, but Logan had to admit, Laura was getting further and further away.

"Why would she just go off lahke that? Doesn't she want our help?" Rogue asked. Logan thought about it. Laura and he were a lot alike. Whenever he looked into something from his past he preferred going it alone. He did not want anyone else to see what he found if it ever turned out ugly. Perhaps Laura thought the same? Logan did not accept that Laura should face this alone. She was still a child, and cut from the same cloth as he. Logan explained as much to Rogue, who seemed to understand.

"She and I have a lot of ghosts that will be coming back to haunt us throughout life. She's doing what I would do. Make them not want to haunt again," Logan answered.

_Logan? Rogue?_ Xavier's voice chimed in to their heads, _I have something. An old industrial park off the New Jersey turnpike. Laura's powers were active there. I'm transmitting you the coordinates._

_Using her powers? Not good,_ Logan thought to Xavier, grumbling aloud.

_Indeed, I did detect a high level of stress in her mind, right before I lost her again,_ Xavier further reported, _I'm sorry, Logan._

_You lost her! Damn it!_ Logan hit the ignition and peeled out in the direction of the New Jersey turnpike.

With in a couple hours, Logan and Rogue were checking out the empty site. Logan smelt Laura, the man they were chasing earlier, and multiple new body odors. He smelt guns, and finally he detected the smell of scaly skin.

"Gauntlet," Logan growled. The mercenary seemed to be up to his usual tricks of chasing Laura down. He had the feeling thought that Laura had no intention of getting captured this time around. He followed Laura's scent to the point where it simply disappeared. He detected multiple military humvees and confirmed it from the tire tracks.

He called up Charles; the situation had gone from bad to worse, "Chuck… yeah, I need you to keep on tracking Laura… We're going back to the mansion. Get a couple of the kids together, I'm gonna need a full team for what comes next."

--

_A few hours ago_

It took a few hours, well into the dusk, but Desmond and Laura found the old industrial park. As they wandered around, it seemed only more and more certain that the place was abandoned. Desmond pulled his hood up snug around his head and pulled his leather jacket tight against his body. Laura at least had the luxury of her body quickly compensating for the cold; the winter air was bearable for her.

"S-so, how long do we have to sit out here and f-freeze?" Desmond asked. Laura held her hand up to silence him.

They had been up and down the park multiple times. All that gave them company were a few decrepit buildings and old abandoned machinery, stripped down to metal frames and useless parts. Maybe it was the cold, but Desmond could not see why his father had left a clue like this location around.

"I think were out of luck," Desmond called over to Laura, who was trying to smell the air for some trace of irregular scents. She had nothing though; no scent of Scourge beyond the slide she still carried, no military leathers, no recent smells of gasoline, but there was a faint hint of oil on the wind. Gun oil. Laura's adrenaline kicked up as she took the air in deeper. There were other scents; men, multiple one given the variations. It definitely was not just Desmond she smelt on the wind. That's when she surveyed their location.

None of the buildings were serviceable, but they looked sturdy enough. The distance between two buildings on average was wide. Some of the buildings were a good three stories high. The only other surroundings were a windmill far on the horizon and a bunch of open fields and tall grass. Laura's heart rate jumped.

"It's an ambush! Take cover!" Laura screamed toward Desmond quickly, but not quick enough.

"Wha- ow!" Desmond felt a sharp sting hit his arm. He looked down and saw a dart jutting out of it, "Oh…sh…"

He fell over as the tranquilizer took over his body.

Laura ran for cover. She heard a pair of soft pops in the distance and felt her legs get tagged with a pair of tranquilizers. Their effect was seamless; she did not slow down for an instant beyond the slight stinging sensation in her legs. Whoever was shooting her knew the darts would have little effect. More darts came from random directions until her body was peppered with them, forcing her to the ground.

From the tall grass fields that surrounded the industrial park, Laura saw multiple commandos emerge. The last thing she could make out was who was in charge. Out of all the commandos who were coming from the tall grass she saw only one of the people wearing a cloak: Gauntlet. Then she was out.

Gauntlet walked over to Laura and nudged her nimble form with his boot. He felt how limp she was and barked orders to the commandos accompanying him, "Secure X-23 and the other for extraction. Inform the Board we have the subjects in custody."

--

**A/N: If you happen to live in New York know that Desmond's implied views do not reflect my own. (So, please refrain from throwing bricks at my house if you happen to find it)**


	5. Finding Much Worse

**I do not own the X-Men or any Marvel-related properties**

**A/N: Story format is going to take a bit of shift, going to do installments of 10 chapters or less per arc after this one. Not sure how long this arc will be. It will end when it ends.**

**Warning: One major curse word, and blood content (come on it's X-23). You have been warned.**

Chapter 5:

When Logan and Rogue returned to the mansion, Xavier had a team ready and waiting for him in the hangar. Figuring Logan was going to need the most effective members, Xavier called upon the entire senior team, minus Beast who was preparing the medical bay for post-mission examination.

_I took the liberty of giving everyone the basics of the situation. Jean and Scott filled in what they could. I'll keep on trying to find Laura,_ Xavier informed Logan from Cerebro.

_You checking north of that industrial park?_ Logan asked.

_I have narrowed the search. I should have a location with in a half-hour, _Xavier answered. Logan did not press for anything more; he wanted Charles to be able to find Laura ASAP.

He and Rogue entered the hangar and found Kitty, Kurt, Scott, Jean, and Storm waiting for them outside of the jet.

"What're you all standing around for? I want to be up in the air when the professor has a location for us. Come on, let's move!" Logan shouted out his orders. He and Scott took the controls and as soon as the engines were warmed up, they shot out of the hangar. The speed they were flying at was enough to push everyone back against their seats.

Logan was determined to not lose Laura again.

_Location unknown: North of New Jersey turnpike._

Laura woke up restrained, upright, to a gurney aboard a chopper. Her hands were restrained perpendicular to the rest of her arms so she could not unsheathe her claws. Her feet were fastened tightly to the gurney, not much use. She looked around the cabin seeing heavily armed commandos in all the passenger seats. Desmond was sandwiched between two of them, handcuffed and blind on account of the black sack covering his head.

"Uh, sir? She's waking up," one of the commandos reported nervously. Gauntlet came from the cockpit of the chopper, smiling venomously.

"If you secured her correctly then we have nothing to worry about," he said, coolly, "Did you?"

"Sir, y-yes sir," the commando answered nervously.

"You're sure? Because if she escapes those restraints, it's on you," Gauntlet reminded the commando of the price of failure, rather sadistically. The commando looked at Gauntlet and Laura nervously debating whether he should risk getting closer to Laura while she was awake, even with the restraints. They all had heard stories, all of them had, about how ruthless and unrelenting Laura was. After remembering some of those, he decided he would take what would come for him if she did escape over risking a limb checking those restraints. Besides, if she escaped they would all be dead soon anyway. Not exactly the most comforting thought while transporting a prisoner.

"Positive, sir," the commando answered keeping his rear planted. Gauntlet looked a little disappointed. He was probably hoping for a show. Well, there would be plenty of those once his superiors decided what to do with X-23.

Not too long afterward they landed on top of an isolated building surrounded by layers of forest, camouflaged in hopes of being missed by passing satellites. Two commandos approached the gurney from behind and moved it down the loading ramp, all the while some of the other commandos and Gauntlet kept their guns trained on Laura as she was being moved. Desmond was roused roughly and escorted by a single commando. He was not in a position to do much between the hood covering his face and the handcuffs.

He was still a little groggy from the tranquilizer, but aware enough of his surroundings to know that there was a gun barrel pressed between his shoulders. What the hell had he gotten into? Based on the tranquilizer, the sounds he could discern, and the speech of some of the commandos, he figured he was mixed up in something bigger than he initially thought. More importantly, the security precautions they took with him told him whoever was behind this wanted him alive… for now.

Laura struggled against her restraints, but it was moot. However, as her training had made it, she saw this as an opportunity. She wanted to find the people who were after her, and she had found them. All she needed was to get one of her limbs free.

The inside of the installation was primarily a sanitary white. From what Laura gathered it was a research facility of sorts, not too different from the one she grew up in while under HYDRA's control. The only difference was she could no longer smell Dr. Risman in the halls, one of the few things that could temper her violent urges when she was younger.

She and Desmond were forced to a halt before a man dressed in military combat attire outfitted with patches that designated his commander status. There was another man, a completely bald one with round glasses and a lab coat, who eyed Laura eerily. His face was scarred up and Laura could hear cybernetics at work inside of his body. She figured he must have suffered some terrible injury that necessitated cybernetic replacements.

"So this is X-23," the bald doctor said sadistically as he approached her.

"Sir, I recommend you keep your distance. She's dangerous," one of the commandos warned. The doctor glared at him.

"Your ability to state the obvious is awe-inspiring, corporal," the doctor leaned in a breath's distance from Laura. He looked into her eyes, nostalgic almost, "Yes… that look in your eyes… much like _his_ after I made him."

Laura wrestled against her restraints, upon realizing who this man was. All she could learn about the original Weapon X she memorized. She knew this man was none other than Professor Thorton, the lead scientist of Weapon X. She could have sworn he was dead, based on what she saw at Mt. McKenna. Then again, no body meant no murder from a forensic standpoint. Either way, he deserved to die.

Thorton then turned his attention to Desmond. He pulled up the sack and looked down on him, "Dr. Blackwood's spawn. I expected someone… older."

One of the commandos approached Dr. Thorton with Desmond's backpack and Laura's Scourge sample in hand, "Sir, they had these on him."

"Ah… as expected," Thorton smiled. Desmond's eyes widened. Something strange was going on.

"What do you mean?" Desmond asked bitterly, "Hey, baldy! I asked you a question."

"Charming," Thorton mused, indifferent to Desmond's reaction. He turned away just for a second when Desmond pulled against his handlers. Possibly by overreaction, one of them smacked Desmond in the back of the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him out cold.

The commando responsible simply looked around at everyone, finally uttering simply, "Whoops."

The grunts shared a quiet laugh until a seething voice called from down the corridor.

"Hey!" Everyone turned, and Laura saw much to her shock and amazement one of the few people she did not expect to see in a place like this. A scientist she could have sworn was on her side.

"Ah, Doctor Blackwood, nice of you to come to the reception," Thorton greeted him sarcastically.

Doctor Blackwood turned to the commander angrily, "Get a hold on your men. My son is-"

"Your son's treatment is out of my hands. If you take issue with it, feel free to mention it to the rest of the board," Thorton cut him off, it was clear he still was the head of this installation, "Take X-23 to processing, wait for me before you start the procedure. Get the other into interrogation."

Laura continued to struggle against her restraints as hard as she could. She eyed Doctor Blackwood as she did her targets, coldly and clinically deciding which spot on his body she could exploit for a kill.

She was wheeled away from the helipad entrance and a short trip later into an operating room of sorts. She assessed all the equipment, a lot of it being high-precision tools. And it was all for her. She spied a daunting contraption off to the side, also powered up. It was a machine used for mind-wipes. She needed to get out of there fast.

One member of the science team who had been waiting for Laura to arrive approached, "Alright, let's get started, shall we?"

One of the commandos pushed the scientist back, "Orders are to wait for Professor Thorton."

The scientist objected, "You don't understand, the longer we wait the more dangerous the procedure gets. We don't want to damage her brain, she'll be useless then."

"We stick to the orders unless Profes-" all that wriggling had paid off for Laura, and she knew it as she managed to slip one of her feet out from the belt that tied them down. She unsheathed her foot claw, cut the belt, freeing her legs, and using both of her foot claws, and severed the hand restraints. Having the flexibility for that was appreciated. She was free.

Immediately she slashed the two guards who were responsible for carting her around, and then dove into the group of six that had accompanied them. The scientists in the room all watched in horror as the bullets flew, missed, hit and were simply shrugged off by Laura.

"Retreat! Retreat! Command we have a- ack!" Laura kicked and pierced a commando's neck with her metal talon, silencing him. She spared the scientists and made her escape. Her objective now was to find Professor Thorton and see to it he never made a weapon again. Her body was still healing as she limped out of the processing. The one thing Xavier needed to locate her.

She found her way back to the main entrance as she tracked Thorton, Doctor Blackwood, and Desmond. She had a few courses of action to choose from and enough time for one. Go after Thorton, Blackwood, or rescue Desmond. Or perhaps none of them and simply mine the servers for information. She still had no idea who these people were, only that they had acquired the best from many fields of science. They had soldiers; mercs, private army, it was hard to say. Irrelevant, nevertheless. Laura had to make a decision quickly

Elsewhere in the base, Desmond could feel himself coming back to consciousness again. This time however, he was strapped into a chair looking up at the only light in a dimly lit room. He saw a table in the corner of the room with his belongings all lain out. All his senses were fading in and out, but gradually came back. He could hear two voices behind him, arguing. He recognized Professor Thorton, and unexpectedly…

_Dad?_ Desmond tried to look behind him but he had little mobility being strapped into a chair. Between the shock and cavalcade of other emotions that followed, he could only listen. Judging by the sound of the conversation, Desmond was able to infer a few things. Namely, his father was not in as much trouble as he claimed, and that if Scourge was really as important to him as Desmond was made to believe, it would be nearby too. A scientist never strayed far from his work.

"Listen, you have any idea the risk I took putting my neck on the line so you could get your damned two birds with one stone?" Doctor Blackwood shouted at Thorton, "There was no reason for you to bring Desmond here. Our tracks are covered."

"He was with X-23 at the time of her capture, not to mention in possession of the data you foolishly left at your residence," Thorton shot back, "You are enough of a security risk as it is."

"You told me to use an intermediary, and Desmond was the only I could trust," Doctor Blackwood argued. Desmond could feel the anger welling inside of him. He had been used, by his father.

"Even so, he may have accessed the encrypted data," Thorton pointed out.

"Impossible, I encrypted it myself. You would need someone with experience to access it. Desmond doesn't have a network with those kinds of people," Doctor Blackwood countered. Desmond was not sure what to feel. Betrayed for sure, but here was his father trying to protect him? His motivations Desmond questioned.

"X-23 does. It's out of my hands Arthur," Thorton's pseudo-apology rang flat, "I'll tell you what. I'll let you handle the interrogation. Consider it paid quality time. If he tells you, the less painful things have to be. If not…"

"No, _that _is not necessary," Doctor Blackwood resigned himself to Thorton's orders. He had no leeway here.

"The board demands it. We cannot afford to be compromised," Thorton left the two of them alone.

Before any talking began, Doctor Blackwood unplugged the camera above the door. He wanted privacy. He turned Desmond around, finding him seething with anger, "Hey son."

"Piss off," Desmond muttered under his breath. Doctor Blackwood sighed; he already had a good idea of how this was going to play out, "So all that about you being in trouble, needing my help, all of it just to cover your ass? That Scourge thing?"

"Yes. You have any idea how easy it is to mimic stress," Doctor Blackwood did not even try to sugarcoat it. Desmond was thankful for that at least, "Scourge is the spawn of a synthetic organic compound called Venom. I facilitated the same procedure to create Scourge. I did not lie to you about that. That sample I gave you was meant to simply bait X-23."

"Why? All of this…why?" it was all Desmond could ask. His father hesitated though.

"My work here, what we're doing here is too important to be held back by anything," Doctor Blackwood answered, he approached his son's belongings, retrieving the encrypted data stick, "I don't care whether or not you accessed these encrypted files. It doesn't matter either way; you're a loose end."

Desmond's eye shot wide open, "Wait, their gonna-"

"I'm afraid so," Doctor Blackwood confirmed it, Desmond was going to die, "You want to get out of here?"

"I'm supposed to trust you now?" Desmond snorted, his father paid that comment no heed.

"You're my son. Trust me, don't trust me, it doesn't matter. If I can give you a better chance, I will," Doctor Blackwood opened the slider on the door to check if anyone was coming, "What would you do to live another day?"

"Dad?"

"I may have some pull with the people in charge, but I doubt they would simply let you go without something in exchange," Doctor Blackwood said, "No matter what you think of me, I still want to keep you safe."

"Then get me out of this, we'll run together," Desmond suggested, his father shook his head.

"I told you already, my work here is too important, but you are important to me too," Doctor Blackwood laid his hand on Desmond's shoulder, "Tell me son, what would you do to live another day?"

Never having faced his own mortality to such an extreme, he did not have the answers.

Three loud knocks clanged against the interrogation room door send vibrations through the room. Doctor Blackwood opened the door to a soldier carrying a case, "Doctor, you are ordered to return to your station. Thorton wants answers now."

"I barely got started," Doctor Blackwood protested.

"I have been instructed to shoot you if you do not comply. Sorry, sir," the soldier apologized, disingenuously. Doctor Blackwood took one more look at his son and back at the soldier, "Leave."

"Desmond? Hang tight, I'll see what I can do," Doctor Blackwood assured him. Desmond took that with a mound of salt. That soldier looked like he was looking forward to his job. Doctor Blackwood disappeared behind the steel door and a clang of the metal as it sealed him in with his inquisitor.

The soldier opened his briefcase revealing multiple bottles of chemicals and multiple syringes.

Xavier transmitted Laura's location to Logan immediately, and he went to full burn straight for her. If what the professor had found out was true, there was going to be trouble waiting for them once they were groundside.

"Storm, give us some cover," Scott ordered, and in seconds thick clouds were rolling in from all over the landscape, covering their approach as what would appear as a fast approaching Storm. This would come in handy once the team dropped into the base.

Logan gave the controls to Scott and began to brief everyone on what they should expect, "The facility will have soldiers. Finding Laura and getting her out of there is our first priority. Rogue, Jean, you'll be with me searching for Laura. Elf? You'll be with Shadowcat. As soon as we locate Laura, you two are responsible for getting her back in the blackbird. Cyclops and Storm will stay in the air and keep our exit clear."

Everyone acknowledged their orders and prepared themselves.

In the base's command center, Professor Thorton watched as X-23 made her expected escape attempt. He had learned from his dealings with Wolverine that it was healthier to stay out of her way until they could get a proper containment team in place. As for their other prisoner the camera for his interrogation room had gone offline. It had to have been Blackwood's doing. The motivation was ambiguous though. Thorton knew how dedicated Blackwood was to their work, but his son was a variable more inclined toward being a complicating factor

A proximity alarm went off, and immediately the control center was all over it.

"I'm detecting a low-incoming craft approaching from the south, position is hard to pinpoint. Getting a lot of interference from the storm that just showed up," one officer reported. Thorton scowled, this made the situation less salvageable than before, "AA towers are activated, but there's too much electrical interference from the storm to engage."

"Sir, the Board wants an update on the situation," another one of the officers informed him.

Between X-23 getting loose _again_, knowledge of Scourge being compromised, and an impending external presence, their options were limited. There was nothing to be gained by staying, hoping that the incoming craft was just passing by, "Begin wiping the servers, and give the order to evacuate. Salvage what samples we can and purge the rest. Leave no evidence we were here."

"Sir, the craft is about fifteen minutes out. We'll need at least an hour to wipe the servers and drives," one of the officers pointed out. Thorton was not to be dissuaded though.

"Upload our most sensitive data, wipe what you can, and rig what you can't with explosives," Thorton ordered.

"What about X-23?"

"We will find her again. Give the order," Thorton pressed his officers. In minutes all the choppers were scrambling to the rooftop for evacuation. The entire heavy ordinance stockpile was being emptied to be used on the servers, key structural points, and on anything else that was necessary for purge to be thorough.

Back in the interrogation room the soldier received the alert, but still continued with the interrogation. He had fifteen minutes and had no reason to worry about keeping Desmond alive longer than that. He pulled out a syringe trying to decide which chemical to go with for the interrogation. Barbiturates were too slow, opiates yielded unreliable results, much like pain. Then again, all animals have some form of survival instinct. He filled a syringe and approached Desmond.

"What I have in here will kill you in fifteen minutes," he gave the syringe a squirt and jammed it into Desmond's arm. His protests and struggles against the restraints were pointless, "I have the antidote right over there… all you have to do is tell me what you know about this operation."

_Crap, crap, crap,_ Desmond kept on saying that over and over in his head. Before the soldier could do anything more, there were three heavy knocks on the door.

"I'm busy!" the soldier called over, there was no answer except for three more knocks, "Didn't you hear me?"

Three more knocks. Annoyed, the soldier checked out who was there. He slid open the peep slot and peeked out the door, "What the hell do you want?"

At first it seemed like no one was there. He moved his head closer to the small opening and tried to look down the exterior hall. Desmond, while frantically trying to get out of his restraints, watched the soldier investigate who was knocking.

"Who the- uk!" the soldier was cut off. Desmond saw his body twitch were it stood before falling backward revealing two new holes in his head.

"Holy Shit!"

Laura clawed her way through the door and rushed over to Desmond. She severed his restraints and he leapt out of the chair, rushing over to the suitcase.

"Quick, he injected me with something we need to find the antidote," Desmond explained frantically to Laura. She looked down at the soldier's hand and retrieved the syringe that laid in it. She gave it a quick sniff, smelling an all too familiar scent: just plain water.

"The water he injected you with is not poisonous," Laura said calmly. Desmond gave her a look and she simply indicated her nose and the syringe.

"Are you kidding me?" Desmond asked. Laura simply cocked her head to the side.

"Why would I do that?" she asked, honestly curious as to why anyone in the right mind would joke at a time like this. Desmond took a deep breath, silently praying she was right, "We do not have time to rest. We have five minutes before they check here for us. Less."

"You have a plan?" Desmond asked. He grabbed all his belongings that were lain out on the table and stuffed them back into his single-strap backpack.

"We are leaving," Laura answered. She cocked and handed Desmond the soldier's pistol with an extra magazine, "Do not hesitate."

Killing was something Desmond never really thought about. Standing there with a loaded gun in his hand, he was not sure he was ready, or if he could. What was even more sobering was how indifferent Laura seemed to killing, how at ease she was with the idea and unaffected by the man she killed moments ago. It was frighteningly natural for her. Yet for him, the doubt was unrelenting. He did not want to kill.

_Arms and legs. Uncle didn't teach you to shoot decently for nothing,_ he thought to himself. He took a deep breath and managed the nervous shakes in his hands. This was about survival now.

"Follow close, I will not wait," she warned, she took point leading Desmond through the base. She brought them back to the ground entrance only to find it was locked down. It would take time, but she believed she could cut through the blast door that impeded their progress. Announcements over the intercom system indicated everyone was leaving from the roof, and scrubbing the rest of the base.

"We need to get to the roof. We will commandeer a helicopter for extraction," Laura grabbed Desmond, pulling him briefly toward roof access.

"Have you ever flown one?" Desmond asked, rushing to keep up with Laura.

"I have had extensive simulation training," Laura answered evenly. Desmond swore under his breath, liking her escape plan less and less. Zero real-world experience gave Desmond proportionate confidence at the moment.

As they made their way back to the roof, Laura caught a pair of scents that stopped her in her tracks. She glanced at a metal sliding door labeled Bio-Engineering, sniffed again and was certain. Scourge was on the other side of that door, so was Doctor Blackwood. There were other scents as well: guns, gun powder, gasoline, sulfur. She did not care for Scourge, but Doctor Blackwood was an invaluable source for information. If she could just capture one of them, she would have a line on this organization. The intelligence opportunity was too invaluable to pass up.

"I thought we were in a hurry," Desmond urged Laura back toward the helipads, unaware of what she found. Seemingly she ignored his statement.

He was about to grab the sleeve of her jacket to see if she was paying attention when her claws popped out. His hand recoiled quickly as Laura marched over to the door. She looked back at him, "Your father is inside this room, along with an armed escort, two men. Be ready to back me up."

"How can you-"

Before Desmond could protest Laura began to slice at the door. Desmond cursed under his breath, again, and stacked up next to the door as Laura clawed her way through. She sliced a reasonably-sized hole in the door and leapt through. Automatic gunfire sprayed out of the opening right before Desmond made his way inside. Laura had dove into one of the soldiers, killing him instantly. Now she was pinned down behind a desk. She had planned on rushing the last soldier when Desmond finally came through.

He aimed down his sights, but his quivering index finger would not coil around the trigger, "Don't move!"

The soldier turned with his automatic weapon toward Desmond, prepared to fire. Laura took the opportunity to attack, lunging forward with her claws. The guard went down with her straddling him. When she got up, he did not. Thrice he had seen her kill someone. If the situation was different, as in they were not running for their lives, he may have abhorred and feared what he just saw. There would be time for that later. It took Desmond a moment to regain his faculties, just in time hear her criticism.

"You hesitated," she said even-toned. His jaw moved but no words came out a first.

"I distracted him," he grumbled back.

"Only after his focus was on me leaving an open opportunity for you to execute a kill shot," Laura pointed out, "It would be more correct to say I distracted him, you hesitated, and I had to keep him from killing you."

"Women's logic is flawless," Desmond grumbled simply, if a little sarcastically. She disregarded his response and scanned the room for Doctor Blackwood. There were a few overturned tables and an empty containment cell. She picked up the soldier's submachine gun and fired above the overturned tables.

"Show yourself!" Laura hissed. A hand shot up from behind one of the tables, waving. "Stand up slowly."

Doctor Blackwood followed her instructions. He was holding a long cylindrical container in his hands. It was filled with some a black substance; Scourge. Desmond forcibly pushed Laura's weapon downward.

"Relax, it's just my-"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Blood sprayed Desmond's face as Laura's body lurched and fell over. Three shots, center mass; she was not getting up quickly.

"Laura!" Desmond shouted out, he quickly turned and aimed his pistol at his own father, finding himself also in the line of fire, "Drop the gun!"

"Run Desmond," Doctor Blackwood urged his son.

"Drop the gun or I shoot," Desmond pulled back the gun's hammer, but his father was undaunted.

Doctor Blackwood relaxed his gun arm slightly and took a few steps forward, "You're not going to-"

BAM! Desmond fired a round at his father's hand, hitting the gun cleanly. The force of the shot still hurt like hell, causing the canister to fall from Doctor Blackwood's grasp. Desmond held his breath realizing what he just did. The canister hit the ground with a clatter, but did not break.

"God damn it!" Doctor Blackwood screamed as he coddled his hand, "You could have shot me!"

"Come any closer and I will" Desmond shouted, his father held up his hands defensively.

"So that is how far you'd go to live another day," he muttered snidely, taking another step forward, "Listen, son. This is bigger than you and me. You can still get out if you leave right now."

Desmond looked back carefully at Laura who was still breathing amazingly. The gunshot wounds looked less severe than they did a few seconds ago. If he left now, there would be no telling what would happen to her. He looked at Scourge, lying on the ground between him and his father; if he left now there would be a biological weapon unaccounted for to be used on who knew what.

"Put the data stick you have on the ground and back against the wall," Desmond ordered. His father complied, grudgingly, "You're coming with me."

"Desmond, I'm begging you to run," he insisted one last time.

"No," he growled. He knelt down to pick up the Scourge canister. As he grasped it, his father grabbed the nearest object, a hardcover book, and threw it toward Desmond. The book collided with his head, knocking him over. He still hand a firm grip on his gun and the canister. His father tried to go for the canister and data stick, but as soon as Desmond leveled his gun at him he ran in the opposite direction out of the room.

Desmond squeezed a few shots off, making sure they went wide. By the time he got up, his father had disappeared. He cursed under his breath and turned his attention to Laura. He had no experience in dealing with gunshot wounds, but at this point it was irrelevant. As he knelt down at Laura's side he saw the bullets actually being forced out of the wounds by her body. She sat up uneasily on her own, much to Desmond's astonishment.

"Easy there," he said trying to keep her from standing, "You just suffered a series of gunshot wounds."

"I'm nearly healed," she said plainly, pushing his arms away. She stood up, stumbled for a second, but for all intents and purposes, looked as good as new.

"You can heal fast?" Desmond looked her up and down. His original opinion was unchanged: she was strange.

"Why do you state what is apparent?" she asked, perplexed by his reaction; a mix of concern, surprise, and something else. It was something she had observed in many people she had assassinated. He felt guilt.

"You… I thought… you were… I thought you were going to die," Desmond answered her question, after fumbling the right words to say, "I told you to lower your gun and he shot you."

"You are inexperienced in such matters, I do not blame you," Laura's coolness about the whole ordeal disturbed Desmond further. No one was ever this indifferent to being shot, let alone so indifferent to killing. What the hell did this girl go through to be so… disconnected? Before his train of thought could travel further, she focused in on the canister, "You retrieved Scourge."

"And the encrypted data," Desmond nodded, "Seemed like the thing to do."

"Then chasing your father is irrelevant," Laura assessed their situation, "We need to leave."

Desmond slipped the small canister into his bag and checked his ammunition, "Following you."

Laura acknowledged and continued toward the roof. She took in more scents as they passed. It seemed the majority of the installation had already left for the roof or ground evacuation; those that weren't were dead or would be. Laura had no qualms about those she was responsible for; they were bad people who deserved what they did to her and likely did to others. She still heard a few helicopter rotors prepping for flight, spurring her to run faster. When they reached roof access, Laura peeked through the door to the helipads. There were still two helicopters landed, but not for long. The wind had picked up and a heavy storm had moved in. There were four commandos guarding each. Between her proven combat proficiency and Desmond's supposed proficiency, they had a chance of taking on one of the crews.

There was no more time to analyze the situation though. The helicopters were about to take flight. Laura burst through the door and sprayed gunfire toward the closest. She dropped two commandos and likely hit a few of the occupants; they were grazed at worst.

"Contact! Contact!" on of the commandos called to everyone else, "Get aboard!"

In unison, the remaining commandos laid down fire in Laura's direction as she strafed toward cover. Desmond peeked out and saw the unfolding chaos, trying to will himself to move so he could help. The world seemed to slow down for him, he could hear his inner dialogue egging him on to move while his logical side weighed the possibility he would even be effective against military commandos armed to the teeth. His chances were not strong, but in spite of himself he eyed his environment for the nearest cover, just like he was taught. Everyone's concentration was on Laura, giving him a few extra seconds to get where he needed. He took a deep breath and scrambled out from hiding and hid behind an air duct. He fired a few shots into one of the helicopters. That got their attention and before Desmond could blink his position became a health hazard.

"Yeah, Desmond, this was really a good idea," he berated himself, keeping himself as low to the ground as possible. It became harder to think straight with the gunfire, the rotors, and the adrenaline coursing though his veins then.

Laura fired back some more tagging another one of the commandos. They were no longer holding their ground; the remaining soldiers retreated aboard the helicopters and they were lifting off. Laura took another peek from her cover. She fired the last of her ammunition into the crew cabin of the nearest helicopter. There were multiple hits, but it was for nothing. The situation escalated as Laura saw the remaining commandos manning the machine guns on the helicopters.

"Desmond! Get back inside!" Laura screamed over the rotors, but Desmond's hearing was not as acute as hers, he simply screamed back for her to repeat. Before she could instruct him better, the sky rained down hell. .50 caliber rounds sprayed on both of their positions. The bullets tore through the air duct Desmond hid behind and he hit the floor, keeping his head covered. Laura sprung from her cover as soon as the machine guns let up, and with uncanny fluidity she weaved in and around the roof's utilities to his position. She pulled him up from his cover and practically dragged him toward the roof access door.

The cool down time was not long though. As soon as she heard the motors in the machine guns rotate again, she pulled Desmond around so she was in the line of fire. When the guns opened up, Laura screamed in such agony. Warm blood sprayed Desmond's face; he felt like he had been punched hard in the gut as he heard her scream. It was always painful to hear a woman scream out in pain. As her legs began to buckle he grabbed hold of her and fell to the ground. They landed with him on the ground and Laura bleeding on top of him, unmoving. The helicopters immediately stopped firing and tore off away from the installation.

He rolled her over so she was lying on her side. He examined the dozens of new holes that peppered her body, seeing they were already well on the mend, bullets falling out like coins out of a slot machine in Vegas. Laura's eyes opened and she began to breathe again, Desmond let out a sigh of relief and smiled down at her. She did not return the smile though, only an alarmed stare at Desmond blood stained front.

Desmond noticed and assured her, "Don't worry, your blood."

He finally looked down at himself and saw what she saw. A few grazes and a new hole in the front of his abdomen registered in his mind. A few of the bullets must have passed through Laura. His mind made his body fully aware of his situation. Pain unlike any he had felt set his abdomen on fire.

"Oh…"He immediately passed out from shock, feeling cold.

_Fire… cold?_ Desmond thought to himself as his mind went blank.

Laura uncomfortably sat up and began to apply pressure on the worst of the wounds. Her knowledge of first aid was limited as it was never a concern of hers. She did not save lives, she took them. That was what she was made for. Sixteen years old, and the reason she was created was staring her right in the face through a pool of blood accumulating below Desmond. Like all death she had seen before, this did not affect her, not entirely. A feeling she was not familiar with gripped her, but only slightly. She found herself wondering if he needed to die, or if he even should have come with her.

_I do not understand,_ she silently brooded as Desmond's body stilled. His eyes had slumped to a close and his skin had paled. The unforgiving rain continued to fall. This feeling continued to nibble away at her thoughts, but she forced it down for the time being. She needed to escape and the installation did not have much time left. Her legs were still healing from the Swiss cheesing they endured making it hard to move.

Then she heard it, the scream of an advanced jet engine ripping through the stormy night. She heard familiar voices, and the stormy wind brought to her familiar scents. She looked up the X-men's jet hovering over the building. Logan, Rogue, and the one she recognized as Jean Grey from their previous encounter began to float down from the jet.

Logan saw Laura bloodied and immediately was on the defensive, but his senses told him the fight had come and gone. He looked closer and saw Desmond, recognizing him as the runner they had chased earlier. He saw the wounds and knew as Laura did, he was dead.

Logan helped Laura up, "Come on kid, let's get you home."

Laura nodded, in acknowledgement. She went over to Desmond's body and retrieved his backpack. One of the bullets had gone clean through Desmond and through the bag, ruining the computer inside and shattered the container containing Scourge. The weapon was gone. It must have spilled out and dissipated in the rain water. She still had the encrypted data though.

"I am ready to leave," she informed the X-Men. Logan kept close to Laura while Rogue and Jean handled Desmond's body. As soon as everyone was aboard, the jet bolted away from the installation as a series of explosions brought it crumbling down.

Logan took a seat next to Laura on the jet, taking a deep breath. Time to play concerned father just like he had with many of the young women at the institute.

"How you holding up kid?" he asked her. She looked at him and back at the body bag they had placed Desmond in.

"I am sufficient," she answered plainly. Logan gave her a look.

"We both know that ain't true," he pushed for more, but Laura looked at him strangely.

"I am physically healthy. My mental state is agitated from my recent mission, but it should be back to normal with in 24 hours," she expanded, but it was still not what Logan was looking for. She was going to be a tricky case for the X-Men. He decided not to push more on that question, knowing he would not get a different answer.

"You find what you were looking for?" he asked.

"I found a base of operations for the other group responsible for my creation," Laura answered, "It is destroyed. The data I collected may be passed along to an agency with the resources to deal with this organization."

"Who were they?"

"I saw many personnel I recognized from files I saw regarding the Weapon X project," Laura answered. Logan growled as he came to the same conclusion that Laura did.

"They're back."

**A/N: Sorry that took so long to get out, but I've been busy. But school's over for the summer and I'm just working so I can focus on this a little more, hopefully. Chapters will definitely be about 2-3 pages shorter as opposed to being 12-13 pages in length, if possible.**

**Next Chapter: The X-Men have the uncomfortable task of informing a human family about their son's condition. Rogue gets a new roommate. Laura's new life at the institute begins. While she was trained to blend in with the public, will that be enough for her to lead a new life? The Weapon X project now being back from the grave, will Laura and Logan let their past go or will they put it back in the grave themselves?**


	6. Unexpected Consequences

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel Properties.**

Chapter 6: Unexpected Consequences

Professor Charles Xavier dreamed that one day humans and mutants could coexist peacefully. He knew from the moment that he began fighting for that dream that it would be an arduous and nigh-impossible task. Obstacles would come in all shapes and sizes. Never had this been truer than when Laura finally came to the institute to live. The point was only driven home further when he heard from Scott that they had a human casualty in tow.

Once the team had returned, Desmond's body was immediately taken to the medical wing while everyone else was debriefed. While Desmond's death occurred prior to their arrival, it occurred during a human/mutant conflict. As if public relations were not difficult enough.

_Arduous indeed,_ Xavier thought to himself. There was a knock on his door and Logan entered.

"How's Laura settling in?" Xavier asked immediately.

"Set her up in one of the spare bedrooms for now. She's sleeping, or at least pretending to. Gonna need to figure out who she can room with," Logan answered, "She'll need to be outfitted also. She only has the tattered clothes on her back."

"Of course. I'm sure some of the students around the mansion would be privy to helping our new arrival," Xavier said. Logan gave him a crooked stare, "After an adjustment period for certain. It is not the first time we have taken in members who were against us at first."

"Rogue was being manipulated. Last time Laura came here she was out for blood," Logan corrected. He did not deny the similarities though; it got him thinking.

"Semantics," Xavier countered. He looked at the time and yawned. It was too late at night, or early in the morning as the case was, to deal with all of this at once. The field team was not going to be very lively when it came time to wake up. At least they could sleep now. The same could not be said for Xavier, Logan, or Beast, who was taking care of the body in the medical wing.

"So how're we going to play this, Chuck?" Logan asked, spying the deceased's wallet and a few post-mortem photos, "Dead human in our medical wing? Laura mentioned he had ties with law enforcement."

"Honesty is the best policy," Xavier answered, "We locate his next of kin and inform them of their relative's fate."

"And the finer details?" Logan asked. That was indeed the trickier part to the situation. A secret weapon program back from the dead, pursuing a scientist connected to it, and the X-Men's involvement was nothing short of a lot to swallow. That was provided the next of kin would believe it.

"I'm afraid we may have to handle each challenge as it presents itself in this case," Xavier answered. Neither man wanted to say it out loud, but they both saw the writing on the wall. Shitstorm, twelve o'clock.

"What do you want to do about the data Laura and her 'friend' recovered?" Logan answered.

"It is not within the X-Men's domain to pursue this," Xavier answered. Far from the answer Logan wanted to hear.

Projects like Weapon X were even more insidious of threats than the like so Magneto. Letting them run rampant was simply asking for trouble. Dealing with such threats often involved a lot of manpower and risk. Shadow organizations had a habit of cloak and dagger, making dismantling them all the more difficult. Honestly, it was true that the X-Men were not equipped or outfitted to handle such a task. Logan knew Weapon X though, and from what Laura had told everyone during the debriefing they had upped the stakes. They were willing to kill civilians if it meant maintaining their secrecy. Bioweapons were another concern on par with their seemingly limitless funds. They had to have a steady cash flow in order to still be operational. Logan could hear the ghosts from his past shrieking.

"So what? We just pass this info on to SHIELD and cross our fingers that they deal with it?" Logan withheld his endorsement for many reasons. Distrust between mutantkind and the government not being the least of them.

"We still have to work with the system despite our disadvantage with it," Xavier explained, "However, I am not stopping you from looking into the matter. I would advise you not to, for Laura's sake if not your own."

Logan gave his dear friend a glare, "Charles, this is my past we're talking about here. I can't simply walk away. Not after what I just saw."

As much as he wanted to, Xavier could not argue that point. One of Logan's motivations for joining the X-Men was to discover more about who he was. What he was suggesting was hunting down this organization. Xavier found it to militaristic; not what he had in mind for the X-Men.

"I think we need to discuss this with the rest of the senior staff before we take any action ourselves," Xavier said, "For now, we'll give a copy of the data to Nick Fury while we decide what to do. In the meantime, you think you-?"

"Yeah, I'll take care of her," Logan answered Xavier's question before it was even posed. It did not take a telepath to see that question coming.

Laura leaned against the wall a few meters away from Xavier's office. She had heard it all. She was not sure what was doing here. If SHIELD was going to be coming to pick up the data she and Desmond came across then she would need a place to hide, and a few escape routes planned.

She heard the doors open down the hall and she crept back to her room. Her feet barely made a sound as they tapped the marble and hardwood floors throughout the building. She knew that her scent would be fresh and that if Logan came her way he would know she was listening in. It did not matter though. She would have found out one way or another.

She slipped back into her bed and pretended to sleep when Logan looked in on her. He could hear her heartbeat though, and it told him she was awake. He took a moment to appreciate the responsibility and the journey ahead for her. He knew she, just like him, wanted to go after Weapon X. She was just a kid though. She should be making friends, spending unforgivable amounts of time at the mall, laughing with friends, crushing on boys or girls… have a chance to be a kid. Given what he knew of her upbringing, she probably did not even know how to do many of these things.

If Logan chose to go after Weapon X, any chance she had at becoming Laura would be lost. For her the killing had to stop. Either he would have to go after them discreetly, or not at all. Logan sighed. It was too soon to make a decision one way or the other. One thing was for certain: protecting Laura was all that mattered.

The following morning, Xavier impressed upon the rest of the residents the gravity of their current situation. There were some residual murmurs amongst the younger students about Laura. Worries mainly, but Xavier and Jean did what they could to assuage their apprehension. The morning continued on as it usually did with the students getting ready for school. As for the body down in the medical wing, they were left out of the loop for the time being. The less exposure this had for the time being, the better.

Laura kept mainly to her room until most of the students had gone to school. She was not particularly looking to have any encounters with them just yet. She snuck out briefly to get some breakfast. When she got back to her room she found some clothes on her bed. There were only two patterns she picked out from them. They were either predominantly dark clothes or flashy, more colorful ones. A note was left by Logan.

_Rogue and Kitty had some old clothes for you. We'll get you some of your own soon. Try not to hole up here all day. Beast wants to see you for a medical exam also – Logan_

Laura looked through the clothes and could smell traces of various perfumes that she could have done without. She took the simplest of what was available: a pair of jeans that hung a little loose around her legs and a cyan t-shirt that had a cat's head on the front with the words "Bad Kitty" written below.

She quizzically looked down at Logan's note again wondering what else she was supposed to do with herself. When she was living on her own, she did not do much beyond work and maintain a low profile. Her mission at the time was to maintain that status. Now that she no longer had a job and was in one of the safest places for mutants, the idleness began to eat away at her. There were no firearms she could strip and clean, no mission she currently had to prepare for, no training she had scheduled. She was not even enrolled in school. Laura did not know what she was. Combat, following orders… these were things she understood. All she had now was "don't hole up here all day". She understood, but did not know how to follow this semblance of an order.

_I am in unfamiliar territory. Most of the inhabitants are not on the premises. Standard operating procedure would dictate I understand my surroundings,_ Laura deduced. If nothing else, exploring the mansion would give her something to focus on.

Silently, she slipped out of her room and ventured into the unknown.

Logan rolled into Bayville's Lookout Point on his motorcycle. It was quiet at this time of day; a few passersby, parents with children too young for school, an old married couple, and a man reading a newspaper on a park bench. Obvious enough of a mark. Logan took a seat next to him, quite familiar with his scent.

"Two calls from you in within a week," a hardened voice said from behind the newspaper. It lowered revealing Nick Fury, "What's the occasion this time, old friend?"

"I have some information on an old government project that SHIELD might want to look into," Logan answered, "Figure I'd just leave this here."

He dropped the copy of the encrypted Weapon X data on the bench between him and Fury. They both kept looking ahead, out over Bayville, "I don't suppose this has anything to do with the Weapon X personnel you handed over to us the other day."

"It could," Logan answered.

"I'll have my people look into it, in exchange for something," Fury said. Logan gave him a glare, "Victor Creed had some stories to tell when we were interrogating him. He mentioned you and a little 'runt-ette'. A little girl with claws, like you."

Logan's eyes shot open. Sabretooth was a mercenary. Figured he would have told Fury about Laura.

"You have her, don't you?" Fury inferred.

"Don't even think it," Logan growled, "She's just a child."

"She's not just a child, Logan. A child who delivered a crippling blow to HYDRA. A child who my superiors still believe is dead," Fury explained.

"You can't have her," Logan said sternly.

"You think I want to reopen all those cases? No, that means more paperwork and man-hours better spent chasing ghosts," Fury revealed, shocking Logan slightly, "You keep her low-profile, set her up with a legal identity, all of that. I'll keep things clear on my end."

"What's the catch?" Logan asked.

"Just think of it as a favor I'll call in someday, like usual," Fury answered. He slipped the data stick into his jacket and pressed a button on his watch. Logan heard a low frequency sound emanating from the device. It was a homing beacon, "I have to get back into the field. Remember: low profile. If you can't manage that then I won't have any choice but to take her in."

Beast had immediately gone down to the medical wing for the mansion's first autopsy. He already was aware of the deceased's cause of death: Blood loss on account of a gunshot to the abdomen. However, there certain formalities that needed to be attended to: paperwork mostly, tox screens, and other duties associated with an autopsy. More importantly, whenever they located the next of kin, they did not need to see a tattered and torn body.

The medical wing doors slid open with a hiss and the lights automatically illuminated the labors before Beast.

"Well my friend, it would appear your dating days are over," Beast muttered to himself. This was simply the method to his manner, "But that doesn't mean you can't look good for your last party."

Humor and musings made his work all the more stimulating, and certainly helped during hard times.

"Subject, male. Age 17-19 years old. Name: Desmond Blackwood. Cause of death…" he began speaking into the microtape recorder. He pulled back the sheet covering his body to reveal his upper body. There was another hiss from the medical wing's doors. Laura entered wearing some clothes she had borrowed from Rogue and Kitty. They were loose on her body.

"Ah, Laura. Here for your medical examination, I assume" Beast asked her, pressing pause on his recorder. Her gaze was focused on Desmond's body, "I was not expecting you until later."

"Logan did not specify the time you wanted to see me," Laura said, uncertain of what to do with herself. She looked around anxiously at the lab. Beast picked up on her discomfort. All of it was understandable considering her history.

"That is quite alright, young lady," Beast said jollily, "I just need to finish up a few things with our necrotic friend here. I might suggest you look away."

Beast indicated Desmond's body. Laura took another indifferent look at Desmond's body and simply said, "I have seen the inside of a human body before."

Beast's jaw dropped, dumbfounded. Laura immediately added, "HYDRA taught me about biology extensively."

"Oh, right," Beast chuckled to himself, albeit uneasily. He went back over to Desmond's body and pulled back the sheet showing his upper half again. He was about to go back into his examination when Laura crept closer to Desmond's body, nearly touching his chest with her ear, "Laura I must ask that you keep your distance during the examination."

Laura acknowledged his request and backed away, but she knew what she heard. That muffled thumping. She had to be certain, so she listened carefully.

Beast encountered strange findings the closer he examined Desmond's body. His wounds for one were in various stages of healing. On a dead body one would have found the wounds still open, or at max be in the beginning stages of scabbing. Desmond's wounds were already well past that point, showing signs that new tissue had grown. His abdominal gunshot wound, his most serious, looked as if it had healed immensely. Both the entrance and exit wound looked less serious than it did when the body came in the previous night. New flesh and scabbing had become more apparent in addition to another. There were a few other quick tests Beast needed to run. Anomalies were possible. With a sigh, Beast grabbed his scalpel. An internal examination would explain all of this. Hopefully.

Just as the scalpel touched down and began to slice through the thin flesh Laura spoke up, "I hear a third heartbeat."

"AAARGH!"

Beast immediately pulled away from the examination table, the scalpel dropping with a light clatter on the tile floor. Instinctively, Laura's claws unsheathed. That guttural scream, like a bomb in the night, seemed to shake the room. And the source had awoken. Desmond shot up from the table. Not so necrotic, as Beast would put it.

Desmond had no idea how long he had been out. All he remembered was seeing his gunshot wound and fading. As if it were a few seconds ago. His wakeup call was unlike anything he felt. He was awake, semi-aware of his surroundings, and felt energy coursing through his veins. It was like all his adrenal glands decided to jumpstart his body.

Beast immediately pushed Desmond back down on to the gurney. It was more difficult than he expected to keep him down. For a man who had been out for nearly a day now, he sure had a lot of strength for a baseline human. Adrenaline is one hell of a stimulant.

"Mr. Blackwood, I need you to calm down!" Beast ordered, able to keep his cool despite the extraordinary situation that had befallen him. Desmond took one look at him and began to freak even more. He spoke but his words were far from intelligible. He was in an adrenaline-induced panic. Waking up to being cut on by a man with blue fur and ape-hands was enough to rattle anyone's cage.

Desmond tried forcing himself up again only to be met by further resistance. Everything was still a haze. Laura watched intensely, trying to determine the best course of action

"Laura, second drawer on the left is a sedative, get it quickly!" Beast hollered over to her. She bounded over to the drawer pulling out what Beast needed. He urged her to use it on Desmond quickly. She followed suit, but it did little to slow Desmond down. He needed more. She grabbed another and stuck Desmond again, this time with the desired effect. His thrashings began to slow and his eyes drooped back into a tranquil state. When Beast was certain he was out, he finally let go of Desmond.

"Thank you my dear," Beast said, breathing deeply, "I guess there is still some life to be had by this one."

Laura continued to stare down at Desmond's still form, uncertain of what to make of this miraculous development. The claws jutting out between her knuckles remained that way, ready to strike. A defensive reflex Laura had been forced to hone over the years. When dealing with the unknown it was always best to be prepared; this definitely landed in the spectrum of the unknown.

Beast informed Xavier of the new developments. While he was glad that there was no longer a death to deal with, this did raise some more questions. Namely how does a baseline human survive a gunshot wound to the sternum? Beast began blood work to shed some light on what kept Desmond alive when he was presumed dead. While that was being attended to, Xavier personally used Cerebro to confirm Desmond's non-mutant status. Sure enough he was human according to the machine. Intriguing, but he could not simply wait for results. There were other things, such as getting Laura settled in, that required his attention.

Xavier had been going over possible roommates for Laura. None of the new mutants had the experience or the understanding necessary for dealing with Laura. Even most of the senior team was tentative choices. Logan and Xavier came to an agreement that she needed to be amongst people closer to her age. After much discussion they narrowed it down to one person.

"You think she'll be up for it?" Xavier asked.

"Rogue has her fair share of experience in being one of the loners. She managed to convince Laura to come here initially before the…incident," Logan explained his reasoning. It was sound and Xavier had no objections. Laura's room assignment now hinged on Rogue's willingness to take on more responsibilities.

The school day had ended and the students would be returning to the mansion at any second. As soon as Rogue was in range, Xavier called her telepathically to come to his office at her earliest convenience. She entered a few minutes later, not certain as to what to expect. There were no disciplinary issues to speak of, no problems with any other students, so no need to worry. Of course there was always the possibility of there being some xenophobic ass making a complaint at the school.

Xavier offered her a seat and went about explaining the situation to her.

"Rogue, I know you're more comfortable with having a room to yourself, but Laura's arrival has put us in a precarious situation," Xavier began, Rogue shifted in her seat, interest hooked in, "According to Logan here, you have something of a report with her. Is this true?"

Rogue nodded, "Ah guess so. Ah mean, all Ah did was let her know that she had people lookin' out for her. But she did get away from us again so Ah don't know what good Ah did."

"You reached out to her and she accepted," Xavier said, "We were hoping that you would be open to sharing a room with her. Our hope is you would be able to help her acclimate to this new environment. However, you are free to refuse."

"Ah'll do it," Rogue said without a second thought, much to the surprise of Logan and Xavier.

"Hmm. I would have thought you would need more convincing. Are you certain?" Xavier asked. This was no simple task and he had to be certain.

"Ah've missed opportunities to help people who needed it in the past," Rogue sighed, remembering Mystique in spite of her feelings toward her, "Ah don't want to let more opportunities slip away."

Xavier nodded, in perfect understanding, "Very well, we'll inform Laura of the new development."

"Actually, Ah'll let her know," Rogue said, nervously, "Ah mean… We might as well get started now."

Xavier nodded and gave her leave letting her know where Laura was. As Rogue walked to the medical wing she considered what she just agreed to. Rooming with a girl who could kill a person in 27 ways without leaving a mark and countless more involving leaving a mark was not exactly something people jumped into. Was she crazy? She did not fear for her life, so maybe she was. Regardless, she stood by what she said; she would help Laura in any way she could. Unlike saving Remy's father, or even saving the world, Laura was damaged goods. Rogue knew from experience. There were layers of unresolved issues and psychological baggage that would no doubt need to be confronted as time went on. There was an old saw that she heard once, author unknown, "The things worth having in this world were not easy to achieve."

Making a new life would fall a lot on Laura's willingness, but that was no reason for Rogue to not be there to provide the opportunity.

She reached the medical wing in the lower structure of the mansion. She was standing next to Desmond's bed uncertain of what to make of him. Rogue saw him hooked up to multiple machines tracking his vitals. That released a volley of questions onto her mind. Alive? Dead? Alive, again? Rogue could see the cogs turning in Laura's head, likely wondering the same thing. That was not what she was here for though. Questions could wait.

"Hey," Rogue announced her presence, Laura turned and nodded to Rogue, "So, um, the professor wants you to move into mah room. Ah figure he knows best."

"I think he's wrong," Laura said, monotone, turning her gaze back to Desmond, "I am dangerous."

"Nothin' Ah ain't used to," Rogue urged, "Ah'll tell you what, we give it a try for two weeks. If it ain't workin' out you can go back to roomin' by yourself."

Laura met her gaze again. She deduced Logan probably had something to do with this proposition. If for no other reason besides avoiding an unnecessary confrontation with him, it might help her learn to blend in more naturally.

"Your proposition is sound," Laura accepted, "I will collect my belongings and move them to your room."

"Ah'll help you," Rogue motioned for Laura to follow.

_So far so good,_ Rogue thought to herself.

Laura's belongings amounted to the clothing the women around the mansion provided her with. Rogue had to smile to herself that she had selected primarily her clothing. Perhaps there would be more common ground to be had?

After corralling some boys to help move a second bed, desk, and wardrobe into their room, they began to settle in.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask," Rogue said to her as she put her new clothes away.

Laura turned from her wardrobe and said, "You are from Mississippi."

She must have deduced it from her accent.

Rogue nodded and said, "You've been there?"

"Yes. I have killed in Mississippi," Laura said plainly as if it was a common response.

Rogue was at a loss for words. Layers of issues and baggage were an understatement. She forced a smile and continued to help Laura get settled in.

Back in the medical wing Beast continued to examine the blood work from Desmond. His blood had some strange qualities beyond that of the average male. There was some organic, artificial compound mixed in with his blood that seemed to latch onto the blood cells, and release after some chemical process occurred. Fascinating and mysterious. Now the question was "Is it dangerous?"

Just because it kept someone from dying did not mean it was a holy grail of any sort.

In the current ICU, Desmond began to stir. His sense began to return him to the world of the living little by little. He smelt the stale air of a sterile environment, rather the unnatural purity of the air that was being filtered through the mask wrapped around his nose and mouth. A bitter, unwashed taste began to develop in his mouth, followed by the aches and pains of recent injuries as they mended. He could hear the low hum of some generator through the air vents, the beeping of all the equipment he was hooked up to. He finally opened his eyes, seeing a bright blurry light above him and a metallic blue in his peripherals.

Then the recent memories hit him. Getting cut on, waking up in a panic, and getting shot. His eyes widened and he tried to get up. A sharp pain shot around his wrist; an IV. His mind was wide awake now. He needed to figure out where he was and assess his situation.

_Naked save for this gown… unfamiliar territory… getting cut on… Heard someone call out a name for a sedative… Laura… Laura may be here… he called for Laura… Laura assisted him…in danger? Perhaps not… need to find clothes, then go from there. Bathroom… need to go… now,_ Desmond rattled off in his mind.

He went about removing himself from all of the equipment surrounding him and relieving himself. Bedpans were not an option. He then searched his room for some clothes finding them in a closet. He examined what he had and saw the graze marks and blood stains. He was not an expert, but the one bullet hole that was center mass looked fatal, if the blood stain was any indication. Perhaps he received prompt medical attention? How long he had been out was somewhat elusive to him at the present. He did not feel like he had slept, rather the whole world for him just paused when he went under. Seconds, days, weeks? It all felt the same.

_Anomalous event, disregard for now,_ he thought to himself. There would be time for speculation once he got out of wherever he was. He dressed down in his clothes inspecting the grazing holes on his jeans. He discarded his leather jacket and hoodie, both useless now that they had a bullet holes. The rest of his clothing would have to suffice despite the grazes.

He left the infirmary only to find that there was no distinctive direction that symbolized an exit. He did not have much time to debate where to go though. A slight spasm in his muscles and hairs rising up on his neck told him something was coming his way. He went in the in the direction that lessened the feeling. Despite what evidence he had that this place was safer, he needed to be certain.

_Where are you going?_ A voice asked Desmond in his head. While that question was on his mind, it was as if he was literally hearing it inside of his head, not thinking it. He did a few double-takes of his surroundings and then back at where he was going. _Not that way. Go right._

He gave pause again. The voice was an older aristocratic type in tonality. Definitely not his voice. Despite his misgivings about the sudden onset of a voice in his head, he followed the directive. As he neared the end of one hall a door with an X insignia parted revealing an elevator.

_An X symbol? Perhaps that group of mutants Laura was with initially,_ Desmond deduced.

The ride up was brief and Desmond stumbled out into an old American-style mansion. For once he had no hypothesis to contemplate. An underground installation beneath a mansion? Not since the Sean Connery-era James Bond did one see that kind of layout.

The voice continued to urge Desmond forward. He looked at the front door and saw no armed security. For a moment he debated just leaving, but his intrigue to discover the source of the voice drew him up the stairs of the mansion's main foyer. He followed the voice's instructions until he was upon a lone door. Cautiously he entered to find a bald man in his fifties behind a desk.

"Hello, Desmond," that older aristocratic voice, belonged to him. Desmond recognized him from the media storm a little over a year back and occasional reports here and there; Professor Charles Xavier in the flesh. He was uncertain of what to say, "Please take a seat."

Desmond did not move. He kept one hand close to the door in case he needed to run.

"You need not worry, Desmond. You're quite safe here," Xavier tried to assure him. He offered him a seat again and Desmond cautiously obliged, "How are you?"

"Is there any point in you asking? You're a mind-reader aren't you?" Desmond responded gruffly, uncertain of what to make of the situation still.

"Just because I could, does not mean I will," Xavier answered sternly. Desmond was taken back slightly, uncertain of what to think, "So how are you feeling?"

The man was trying to be civil. Not seeing the harm in answering, Desmond finally gave.

"Um, good?" he answered. Despite his injuries he felt fine, "I mean, how long was I out?"

"About a day and a half," Xavier answered, "You have mended quite well in such a short amount of time."

"Whoever patched me up must be good," Desmond assumed, "There's barely any scar tissue."

Xavier maintained a straight face. Desmond did not know how or why he was still alive.

"Not to push or anything, but could someone please bring me up to speed on what I missed?" Desmond asked. Xavier nodded, understanding the young man's present issue. He told him about the fate of the Weapon-X installation and how he was brought to the mansion.

"And Laura?"

"She's fine. We've been helping her get settled in," Xavier explained, "She's been through quite a lot."

"I don't buy that she's fine, Professor," Desmond crossed his arms, "I know she's an assassin. I know my father helped create her. You expect me to believe that she is fine? With all due respect, please don't patronize me. Sir."

There was a still silence and Xavier fixed Desmond with a glare, "It will take some time for her to adjust, but we're confident she will build some semblance of a normal life."

Desmond nodded, "Thank you."

"Me and some of the senior staff here have some questions we'd like to ask you. Later of course," Xavier said, "Your recent activities bring us to believe the X-Men and yourself have a shared interest."

"Um, sure. Can I call my folks? I think they should know I'm alright," Desmond requested, Xavier nodded. He could tell Desmond was dreading that call.

"Of course, we'll pick this up tomorrow. For now rest," Xavier ordered, right then Logan and Beast entered the room. Desmond tensed up upon seeing Beast. Between his appearance and waking up to getting cut on, his shock was understandable, "Desmond this is Logan and Dr. Henry McCoy. Hank saved your life."

Desmond looked back at Xavier and back at Beast. Nervously he extended his hand to him. Beast took it cordially, "Thanks for keeping me amongst the living."

Beast smiled and said, "It was my pleasure, young man."

Logan left with Desmond to lead him to his temporary room, leaving Beast and Xavier to deliberate on the situation.

"Well, Hank, what did you find?" Xavier asked grimly.

Beast showed him the blood work and analysis in conjunction with the notes on Dr. Blackwood's data stick, "It would appear Desmond possesses a rogue element in his blood stream. It matches the biological makeup of specimen Scourge, the biological weapon Blackwood was working on."

"Any idea how he contracted it?" Xavier asked.

Beast went on to explain that given the bonding nature of Scourge, Desmond likely absorbed it when he was shot. The container was broken and given where it was in his bag at the time he was shot, it was likely it entered his body through the wound.

"There is no way he could have survived as long as he did without medical attention without some other factor keeping him alive," Beast concluded, "I think our original thoughts of Scourge bringing him back to life is wrong. It simply kept him alive and healed him.

"What is going to happen to him?" Xavier asked.

"It is bonding with the cells in his blood stream, and this is merely conjecture, he is healing faster than a baseline human would… I don't know what it will do to him," Beast explained, "The question ought to be how are we going to tell him he is carrying his father's biological weapon inside him?"

Honest to God, Xavier did not know.

Logan led Desmond to his temporary room without much as a word. He figured the man was either a man of few words or simply did not like him out of principle. Neither would have surprised Desmond. Everyone there was a mutant and not prone to trust outsiders. Could he blame them? He could remember being in class back in his hometown of Silverdale, California and all the news channels and radio stations tuning into the robot incident that revealed mutants to the world. The debates that erupted in various communities and the subsequent daily coverage of the "Mutant Question" in the media followed soon after. It wasn't too dissimilar to what he saw happen with anyone of Middle Eastern descent post-9/11.

In short, cold shoulders to humans were not unwarranted.

He wanted to sleep; his body ached and he was gradually coming down from the light adrenaline high he had been under. He felt his stomach grumble. He groaned and made his way back out of his room, inhaling sharply when he moved too fast.

Just as Desmond was about to open the door someone knocked. A slight startle caused his body to tense up just enough to make his injuries flare. He gritted his teeth and caught his breath before opening the door.

"Hey," Laura said, giving a meek wave to him. Desmond straightened up immediately.

"Laura! I… I heard you were here," Desmond said nervously. Before he could say anything else he was being eyed up. Laura was examining him the way a mechanic looked at an engine. She then leaned in and inhaled deeply, "What are you doing?"

Laura met his gaze and spoke plainly, "You are alive."

"Um, yeah?" Desmond was further perplexed by her.

Laura was not sure what to say beyond what was already. She had seen people die, she had killed people, never had she seen someone "die" only to not be dead. It was frustrating her. Anger, sadness, and frustration were emotions she understood. She knew how to express them. Yet here she was looking at a man who had nearly died helping her. He was alive and she did not feel anger, sorrow or frustration. If she felt none of these regarding him being alive after being thought dead, then what was she feeling?

Frustration felt like pressure building up inside of her head, her muscles tensing, and her mouth drying. Whatever she was feeling felt like a release; her muscles softened, and deep breaths induced a strange kind of catharsis. An opposite feeling it was. She thought back on her education searching for the words faster than most could form a thought.

Desmond could see her searching for words, nigh blind and deaf to them. He waited anxiously for what she had to say.

"I am… glad, I think," Laura stammered, "Yes, I am glad you are not dead."

Desmond allowed himself a smile, "Same here."

More silence ensnared them as they both looked for words. Between Laura's uncertainty to how to act and Desmond's mind swimming with questions, and distractions on account of hunger for them both, silence may as well have been their best option.

Laura broke the silence first, "I am no good with words."

"Yeah…" Desmond muttered, dumbstruck by the alpha enigma of a woman before him.

_Why the hell did you say that? She's making an effort, damn it. Couldn't you have said something else like "You're doing well" or something,_ he berated himself, shifting uncomfortable as he did.

"Well, um, we all have to stumble a bit…yeah," Desmond tried to save some face, his own words mirroring his attempts at trying to figure this girl out. Before the silence became too much, he asked her, "So I don't suppose you know where we can get some food around here?"

"We?"

"Slip of the tongue," Desmond said quickly, "I mean, you can eat with me if you want. Have you eaten recently?"

Laura looked down and shook her head. She had seen conversations like this before, right before she killed one of the participants. She figured it was best that she did not mention it, "Follow me, I would like to eat, too."

She turned on a dime and motioned for Desmond to follow.

From down the hall, Logan kept his distance but listened to them. He was concerned with how well Laura would do. The fact that she was trying to make conversation and interact with others was a good sign. What concerned him was how much she and Desmond had gone through together, and how much it would affect Laura. It would all be clearer tomorrow.

Nevertheless, Logan remained a hawk, like he did with all the students in some capacity.

**Sorry for the infrequent updates. Chances are they will remain this way. School is not letting up on the amount of reading and writing, but you have my assurances that I will finish this story.**

**Next Chapter: Laura and Desmond are debriefed. Laura continues to struggle with adapting to her new environment. Rogue does what she can to help, but as she helps another confront her demons, she must also confront some of her own. Desmond's mother and uncle come to take him home when he begins to notice a change. All the while, Weapon X is on the prowl, preparing its next move.**


	7. The Story So Far

Previously…

Laura, X-23, was settled into a quiet life under the radar when it was all compromised. Her former handlers Kimura, a woman with skin Laura's claws cannot pierce, and Gauntlet came to reclaim her. Knowing that she had shattered HYDRA, Laura knew it was some other group. She sought out her creator, Dr. Deborah Risman, to find answers. Laura learned that her creation was a joint effort between HYDRA and Weapon X. In order to be free of them, Laura deduced she would have to destroy them. Risman put Laura in contact with one of her colleagues trying to defect from Weapon X so she could find the rest of the people who knew about her. This man was Dr. Arthur Blackwood, another man responsible for her creation. However, her meeting was cut short, but not before she was directed to the next clue located in Blackwood's Condo in NYC. The clue was simply called Scourge. Kimura and Sabretooth had been tracking her and would have captured her if it were not for the timely arrival of the X-Men who agreed to help her find Weapon X.

They arrived at Blackwood's condo only to find it being searched by Blackwood's son, Desmond. After a lengthy chase, and getting separated from the X-Men again, Laura confronted Desmond and they agreed to help each other. Laura further learned that Scourge was a biological weapon being developed by Dr. Blackwood. Eventually they were able to discern his location, only to find that there was an ambush waiting for them. Both Laura and Desmond were captured and brought to a Weapon X facility. It turned out that Dr. Blackwood was using them to tie up loose ends and pickup stray data on Weapon X projects. However, Weapon X was unable to hold Laura and she liberated herself and Desmond. While escaping, Desmond was injured and unknowingly infected with his father's weapon. The ramifications of what happened to both Laura and Desmond have yet to be seen. Laura now is tasked with building a new life for herself. Her toughest mission yet.


	8. Sublety Sucks

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel-related properties.**

**Sorry for the infrequent updates, but 17 credits at college in a major requiring a lot of reading and writing, trying to write the script for the graphic novel me and some friends are making, and college society has been detrimental to my time to write this. But worry not, these stories have not been forgotten.**

**As for the questions about the biological weapon that Desmond now has inside him being the venom symbiote, I can happily say that this is a yes and no thing. Yes, it is related to venom but it is not another symbiote, not entirely. It will borrow elements from multiple universes involving symbiotes but it will not be Venom. It will not be the center of attention for the story.**

Chapter 7: Subtlety Sucks

The following morning did not relent for Laura. Logan had told her to take as much time as she needed to get adjusted to the new surroundings to come to him if she needed anything. He expressed his hopes that she would be amenable to going to Bayville High like most of the other students. Hopes and suggestions like this were likely to be a common motif while she lived at the mansion. She understood his reasons, but did not know how they applied to her. For now she relied on her training to guide her, and it told her this all would help her blend in and avoid detection from the revitalized Weapon X Project.

In addition, there was a new dynamic Laura had to navigate. In the past she had roomed with another person before, but it was always on a mission and the person she roomed with was always Kimura, or another handler from the project. Laura spied an empty bed from across the room. It was eight in the morning, on a weekend. Laura thought of what she observed while in the field, remembering most people slept late on the weekends. She guessed Rogue may have been running a training op as Logan sometimes demanded on the weekends. Laura could not shake an itch to be out doing something herself. There was always something before she came to the mansion. With HYDRA, there was structure to her daily existence. Even on the run, there was some form of routine Laura kept to in order to stay free. When lying low, there was the structure of using her job as a way of blending in. Structure had not yet developed at the mansion for her yet. That left her with only one option

She fell back on instinct.

Laura dressed for the day, again drawing more from Rogue's clothes than Kitty's. She crept out of her room quietly and made her way toward the kitchen, feeling a low grumbling in her stomach. Rogue was serving herself a bowl of cereal when Laura arrived, apparently the only other one up besides a few of the senior staff that Laura had heard as she made her way through the mansion.

"Mornin', Laura," Rogue greeted her with a smile. Laura nodded to her silently, "Ya hungry?"

Laura nodded silently.

"Well, we have cereal, you can also make yourself some toast, have some fruit," Rogue suggested indicating where Laura could find all of those things. Laura stood there, baffled again by having options.

Laura took to the fruit, having used it before on the run. An orange, an apple, sufficed as a start. She noticed another fruit she had seen in the passing but had never tried. It was small, tear-shaped, red with green specks, and green leaves at its top. Rogue noticed her eyeing the strawberries as she indulged in what fruit she knew, uncertain about them.

"Wanna try one?" Rogue asked. Laura looked at her quickly and back at the strawberries.

"Yes, please," Laura answered. She nibbled it, as if testing it. She doubted it was poisoned, but it was her training perpetuating these little quirks. Her first taste and she was entranced. For all intents and purposes, she supposed she liked apples and oranges' taste. Strawberries were unlike anything she had tasted before. It was not too juicy, but had a little tart introduction followed up by a succulent sweet verse; full but not overwhelming, rather a lingering presence that left her wanting another. Her mouth watered, yearning for more.

Rogue watched, in slight wonder as Laura discovered something as simple and sweet as a strawberry; discovering the advantage of having freedom of choice. She knew Laura was hooked with the way her eyes widened at the first taste.

"Good?" Rogue asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Yes. Very," Laura answered, grabbing few more.

"You should have them in the summer, when they're in season. They taste even better," Rogue mentioned casually. Laura continued to indulge in the strawberries, savoring each one as a new experience. They both went about the rest of breakfast quietly. Rogue was happy with just her cereal. Laura, while she did have a bagel and some tea, she kept returning to the strawberries.

Around the time they both were finishing breakfast, some of the other students began to enter. Laura caught a few of their eyes, noticing an emotion she saw in many of her targets. Some were still startled at the sight of her. That could not be helped given that she had tried killing them all to get to Logan. It would fade with time though. With so many eyes bearing down upon her, she could not help but feel uneasy. She did not understand why. Logan entered the kitchen not much later, giving her some comfort.

While everyone shuffled around the kitchen, Logan took the opportunity to check up on Laura.

"Hey kid, you doing alright?" he asked sitting down with a cup of coffee.

"I am fine," Laura answered calmly, indulging in another strawberry. Logan gave Rogue a stare, looking to confirm. Rogue simply nodded.

"When you finish up, come to the professor's office. We'll get you and Blackwood's kid debriefed," Logan said coolly. Rogue noticeably stiffened at the tone he took. It was commanding, nothing more nor less.

"Okay," Laura answered. Logan gave her a nod and left the kitchen. That nervous feeling around all the students returned quicker than it had left.

Unable to ignore what she just saw, Rogue leaned over to Laura, "Logan's usually like that, you get used to it.

"It did not bother me," Laura answered, trying to not appear so perturbed.

"What's eatin' you then?" Rogue asked. Laura indicated with a point of her head the other students. Rogue caught Bobby staring at Laura like a feral animal. When he caught her eye she gave him a chilling glare he could even shiver to. Certain that this would be chronic for a little while, Rogue grabbed Laura by the hand and led her out of the kitchen

She sighed and said, "Sorry about all of 'em, they're just not used to you yet. It was that way when Ah first arrived."

"You were their enemy once?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, granted Ah was bein' manipulated bah mah mother, but Ah was where you are now," Rogue explained trying to assure Laura that things would get better. Laura remained silent, not sure what to make of this. One day at a time was a phrase she was all too familiar with.

In Desmond's temporary room he sat on his bed with a phone to his ear and his hand rubbing his opposite temple. Anyone passing by the room would be able to hear the voice on the other end laying it into him.

"Yeah, I know, Mom," Desmond muttered over the phone.

"You were supposed to be home three days ago!" his mother, Claire, scolded, "Just because you're ahead in your studies doesn't mean you can go off on a whim, visit your father, and not get home when you're supposed to. Winter quarter begins in two days! Where the hell are you calling from anyway? Where's your cell phone? And don't say your father's, I don't recognize the caller ID."

"It told you, Mom, in Bayville at the Xavier Institute," Desmond answered, unsuccessfully trying to calm his mother.

"What in God's name are you doing _there_? You know how dangerous that town is! How dangerous their activities are!" she hissed.

"Mom, it's only the god damn bigots you have to worry about. You said so yourself," Desmond groaned.

"Don't you cuss while talking to your mother, young man," she scolded him again.

"Ma, can we not do this now. I'm sorry I didn't call, alright?" Desmond pleaded, evidence growing that his attempts to calm his mother were futile.

"Where's your father? I thought he was going to be dropping you off," Claire asked.

"He had to leave on a business trip, I was going to catch the greyhound but things got complicated," Desmond answered.

"No, I'm calling your uncle and we're going to come get you. We're going to have a long talk about this," Claire said heatedly, not that Desmond needed further reminding of how deep he was. There was a long pause before Claire spoke again. This time calm, and less reprimanding, "I'm glad you're okay, Desmond."

Desmond sighed, glad she was finished with the tirade, "Me too."

There was more silence and a sigh on the other end, " Just be safe, okay? I don't like worrying about you like that."

"I know, Mom. I'll see you tonight," Desmond said, "Love you."

"I love you too. Bye," Desmond hung up the phone and sighed again. Hopefully the X-Men would be willing to give him a ride home. He did not like telling white lies to his mother, but this was beyond an exceptional situation, "Great now I just need to hope I can come up with good enough of an excuse to explain me falling off the grid for a few days."

"Let's go over this again," Logan grumbled. So far Laura and Desmond had recounted both of their stories regarding Weapon X. Everything from Laura's initial attack at her apartment, Desmond's call to New York, their subsequent meeting, tracking Weapon X, ending with their capture. It had taken nearly an hour so far and they were still working out the details. Logan and Xavier were doing most of the questioning. Beast, also present, appeared to be recording the debriefing.

"Seriously?" Desmond asked, growing tired with being grilled. Logan gave him a glare and he settled in his seat, bracing himself for more questions. Laura on the other hand had barely moved at all during the whole debriefing. Little change in her posture, her expression, and demeanor came to pass. It only reinforced her strange nature for Desmond.

"Your father sent you a call for help in order to use you to gather loose evidence of his work. You didn't know about his work?" Logan asked.

"No," Desmond answered simply, staring at Logan agitated.

"Why?" Xavier asked.

"Never was around for me to ask," he answered quickly, hoping they would glide over that subject.

"If that's the case then why agree to help him?" Xavier pressed.

Desmond fixed him with a glare, "Is this really relevant?"

"He is inexperienced in such matters, Professor," Laura chimed in.

"Now wait a minute-"

"He did not see his father's deception, nor did I," she continued.

"That does not explain why you did not go to the authorities when you knew you were transporting a weapon sample," Xavier pointed out.

"Oh, right, I'm just supposed to go to the police and say 'hey I'm carrying a biological weapon, can you help me?'. I'd be sectioned sooner than I'd be taken seriously. Besides, I trusted my father at the time and he told me not to trust anyone," Desmond explained, "Not to be rude but we done yet? We've beaten this whole thing to death by now."

Logan gave Xavier a roll of the eyes; commentary on Desmond's contradiction.

Xavier dismissed them both and as soon as the door to his office closed he turned to Beast, "Did you get anything from that?"

Beast looked up from his equipment, refocusing.

As Laura and Desmond were leaving the office, she grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him down the hallway.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Desmond asked. He tried wrenching his arm out of her grasp, but it was stronger than he imagined.

"We're eavesdropping," Laura said, leading a perplexed Desmond away from Xavier's office. He looked back, subtly pining for an explanation. She seemed to not get the hint though. Then again, he had to remember she was not like any woman he had met before. Subtlety, in a social sense, was not her strong suit.

"And we're going the opposite way why?" Desmond asked, "You can let go of my arm."

Laura paused and turned, still maintaining her tremendous grip, and said, "I have enhanced senses, and by using them we have a better chance of not getting caught while listening in."

"Right, so how far do we have to go before we miss the bulk of their discussion?" Desmond asked his condescension bitter. It was a tone Laura had learned to pick up on. She simply gave him a chilling glare.

"Desmond, shut up and follow me on this," Laura hissed at him, releasing his arm before storming off.

"Kill you to say please?" Desmond muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Laura called back to him.

"Of course," Desmond groaned shaking his head. She walked a few more feet before sitting against the wall and closing her eyes. Desmond knelt down next to her, "So what are they saying?"

"If you would cease speaking, I would be able to tell," Laura calmly said. Desmond threw his arms up, resigning himself to popping a squat. He debated calling her impossible again like he had back when they were searching for his father. He was more curious about what was being said, though.

Laura began to pick up their voices as she concentrated. The first she picked up was Logan's.

"So what about Laura, you think she's going to go after Weapon X?" Logan asked.

"If you don't give her any other purpose to live for, then yes. Her psychological state is hard to get a read on. Given that she's lived most of her life as a child soldier, she needs some kind of structure," Beast assessed, "Literal missions in life. Something to divert her."

"She isn't someone who needs her attention 'diverted', she needs another example. How is she supposed to go about life with what she's lived?" Logan asked. Laura looked down at her feet, uncertain of what to make of what they were saying. It eerily reminded her of HYDRA's scientists discussing their future plans for her. And why should she not go after Weapon X? She knew them in a sense, and she was trained exactly for taking down organizations like them.

"Then you may need to provide that Logan. You and Rogue, given the report those two are developing. Out of all of us, she seems to hold you in the highest regard," Xavier said, "She is not like Rogue, Kitty, or any of the young women here."

Laura summarized what she was hearing to Desmond, leaving certain particulars out. Desmond maintained his silence.

"Yeah, what else is new?" Logan grunted.

"Well, since you brought it up, I have determined the biological weapon is not contagious," Beast answered, "I am having trouble seeing how this is a weapon. So far it has only accelerated Desmond's recovery. Last I checked weapons kill, maim, and destroy."

"Perhaps Blackwood called it a biological weapon in a tangential sense. I can see how an army of soldiers who heal faster than normal could make the classification justified," Xavier pointed out, "Blackwood was also involved with Laura's creation and no doubt had a intimate knowledge of your genes, Logan."

"I think you're all reading too much into this. Something tells me we ain't seen the weapon part of this bioweapon yet. That Desmond could be a ticking time bomb for all we know," Logan countered.

"Based on the samples I took, all that is happening is that this weapon is integrating itself with Desmond on a molecular level. Until we can access that data he and Laura found, I won't have any idea on what will happen to him," Beast explained. Laura looked at Desmond, realizing what had happened to the weapon.

"You're sure it is not contagious?" Xavier asked, concerned with the bigger ramifications.

"As far as I can tell, whatever this thing is it is only interested in sticking to Desmond, if you can pardon the pun," Beast answered.

"Is it killing him in any way?" Xavier asked.

"No, but it may be too early to tell," Beast answered again, "Any ideas on how to tell him yet? I doubt a quotes from wise men would smooth the shock."

Back out in the hallway Laura stood up. Desmond stood as well. She had stopped reiterating what she was hearing for a bit now. Desmond, curious as to why, began to pry.

"What? What did you hear?" Desmond asked frantically. Laura may have been hard to read, but even she could not hide being hit with a revelation. Laura did not know what to do. Tell him? Wait for someone else to? Kill him to prevent a possible spread?

"Come on, I've been quiet and you stopped talking, what'd they say?" Desmond pushed for answers, but Laura could not form them. In the past, if she overheard sensitive information she would report it to her superiors, keep it to herself, or silence the source depending on the circumstances. What was she supposed to do when the sensitive information came from an ally and pertained to someone who had helped her who was neither a superior nor a target?

"Your father's weapon is inside of you," Laura answered in barely a whisper. If Desmond's sudden pale complexion was any indication, he heard her clearly. She could hear his heartbeat race, and saw his bottom lip begin to quiver. Without warning he began to storm off back toward Xavier's office, taking a detour to the bathroom. He pushed past Scott as he was coming out only to throw up as soon as he reached the toilet. Laura followed him closely. As soon as his expulsion was over she leaned him up against the bathroom sink, to see him blank-faced and empty. Laura had seen this before. He was conscious but unresponsive. His heart was still racing and his breathing was erratic. A new feeling she had recently began to discover hit her again, much like when Desmond was thought to be dead for a few hours. Regret. She regretted telling him this.

_I do not understand, _she tried to get a response out of Desmond, but nothing came.

"He's not looking too hot," Scott said kneeling down next to Laura.

"Stay with him!" Laura said to him before racing off for Xavier's office.

"Desmond is in shock!" she announced quickly to everyone. Instantaneously, Beast and Logan leapt up from their seats and followed her in a stampede to the bathroom where Desmond sat. While Beast tended to Desmond, Logan grilled Laura for answers.

"How did this happen?" he asked briskly.

"We were listening in on your conversation and I relayed information about the biological weapon," Laura answered plainly, "I thought he should know."

"Damn it, Laura, you should have waited to. This could have been avoided," Logan scolded her. She did not show any sign of shame.

"I doubt he would have taken the news any better, considering the nature of his situation," Laura argued, calmly. Logan rubbed his eyes frustrated.

_Great, she's a smartass,_ Logan lamented silently.

"He's in emotional shock, as far as I can tell. Best we get him somewhere a little more comfortable," Beast concluded, lifting Desmond up and leading him out of the bathroom. Laura followed.

Scott, lost as to what was going on asked Logan, "What just happened here?"

"Laura just told him he's infected with a strange biological weapon. Think you'd take it much better?" Logan asked rhetorically.

So much for subtlety.

A few hours later, Desmond came out of his shock, but he remained mostly silent as he sat on Beast's examination table. He was absolutely lost and impossibly dumbfounded. What was he supposed to say? What was anyone supposed to say to possessing a biological weapon, floating around their insides? Much of what Beast was explaining to him was floating in one ear and flying out the other. All Desmond cared to mentally file away was "not killing you… so far," "seems inert," and "perhaps you would consider some more testing".

Desmond turned to Beast and said, "You said it's doing nothing to me except bond with my cells?"

"In a nut shell, yes. It also may be the reason you survived your injuries, and healed quickly," Beast explained further, "However, this is a compound unlike anything I've seen before. Until I can access your father's data, any predictions I have about what Scourge will do to you is purely conjecture."

"Great," Desmond said gloomily, "So I could be dying and we would not be able to tell?" Desmond asked.

"I'm afraid so, but if you would be willing to stick around for a week I would be able to tell more," Beast offered. Desmond kindly rebuked.

"Honestly, doc, I think I'll pass. You said this thing is inert right? Way I see it, I don't have anything to worry about then. I got a life to get back to. School, friends, a girlfriend even," Desmond explained, "If it's all the same to you, I will let you know if anything changes. But I'm not sticking around here. I've had enough craziness to last me for awhile."

Beast nodded, "While I do not advise such action, I understand. If you don't mind my asking, how are you going to explain your misadventure to your guardians?"

"I'll think of something," Desmond said putting his shirt back on, "Thanks, by the way."

"You're most welcome," Beast jollily replied.

"No, I mean seriously. I wasn't sure what to expect from mutant hospitality. You all aren't half as bad as the media paints you," Desmond said.

"There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast," Beast said, as if reciting, "Charles Dickens."

Desmond nodded and made his way out of the medical wing. He still received wary looks from students as he passed by. He let them be and they reciprocated the same. There was one person he felt he needed to say farewell to. Granted, he was uncertain how she would react, making him more than a little nervous.

Rogue kept a watchful eye on Laura as she sat idly in their room. The girl seemed like she was empty most of the time. It was the little things, like strawberries that morning, which gave Rogue hope that Laura would begin to find some sense of normalcy. But what was normal for people like them? Despite being there for nearly two years, Rogue was still finding her place at Xavier's. For all that she had done, the friendships she had made, there was still an impulse at the back of her head that nagged at her thoughts. Gambit, Remy Lebeau, scoundrel extraordinaire, had brought that to light. She was by her very nature, her namesake. That barrier that kept her from physical touch with others extended beyond the physical. While she had made progress in regard to being amongst others, she still felt apart. It was for this reason she understood Laura's uneasiness so far. But like herself, Laura was full of surprises.

Laura had been assessing her fellow mutants from the moment she arrived. At first it was for purely combat purposes, should she feel threatened, but then it began to spill over into other things. In her observations of others she had noticed certain consistencies between most of the students. Certain behavioral quirks she associated with their age and related mental development. For all their differences they all had a lot to relate to. Rogue was different though. Like her, content to being alone and solitary; quiet until it was necessary to be otherwise. Where Laura had learned that from her conditioning under HYDRA's control, Rogue seemed to demonstrate it without such rigorous regimen. There were other things too, that Laura noticed. Whereas other students had pictures of assumingly family, boyfriends and girlfriends in their rooms, Rogue seemed to lack a lot of these. She also spied her stealing glimpses at something in a drawer by her nightstand. It made Laura curious to say the least.

It was Laura's understanding that people stole glimpses at pictures, and other mementoes, to remember something or someone. Rarely was it to remember something about themselves alone.

There was a still silence, until Laura asked Rogue a question, "Why do you not have pictures in your room like the others?"

The suddenness and directness of the question caught Rogue off guard. It was strange and relieving at the same time for someone to be to the point when not on a mission. However, those feelings were countered by the sensitivity of the issue.

"Ah don't really have many people that I would want to have pictures of," Rogue answered uneasily, "Ah mean, Ah have Kurt, but Ah see him every day."

"What about other family members?" Laura asked, noticing Rogue's discomfort.

"Ah'm not exactly on speaking terms with them. It's complicated. I'd rather not talk about it," Rogue said, somewhat tersely. Laura felt another unfamiliar feeling. A pang in her chest reminding her of Kimura's beatings when she did something wrong.

"I am sorry, I did not know," Laura apologized quickly.

"It's alright, Ah know," Rogue assured her.

"I just want to understand," Laura explained.

"You never had any family of your own?" Rogue asked, seeing the peculiar nature of Laura's interest.

"I am a clone," Laura answered.

"But they didn't just grow you in a tube, no one's been able to do that yet," Rogue countered.

"Perhaps they did, or perhaps I have a surrogate mother. I don't know. Only the smallest percentage of people can accurately recall their birth," Laura said. The possibility she had a mother was something she never considered before. At this point she did not see the point in exploring the option. Her hypothetical mother was likely used solely for the purpose of facilitating her development into an infant. It was unlikely she would ever know who it was. Even if she did find out, it was less likely that there would be any connection between them beyond the obvious.

Rogue had a stronger understanding of Laura's dilemma. She was trying to understand something so alien to her, she had no choice but to ask someone directly.

"If family is a sad subject for you, what is it you keep stealing glances at?" Laura asked, hoping that this question was less harmful than the last. She knew it was when Rogue smiled.

Rogue went over to her nightstand and retrieved a small object. It was a queen of hearts playing card.

"This is a card from a friend. He called it his lucky lady," Rogue explained.

"Why does it make you happy?" Laura asked.

"People keep things, lahke this, to remind them of an important tahme, or memory. This was a good one. The boy who gave this to meh helped me through a tough tahme," Rogue answered, fondly remembering the trouble she and Remy got into.

"Why aren't you with him if he makes you happy?" Laura asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, sug, despite everythin' that's happened, the X-Men are the closest thing Ah have to a good family. Ya stick by people like that," Rogue answered, "Ah'm sure Ah'll see Remy in the future."

Nevertheless, she could not deny the point in Laura's question. Why did she not stick around for a little while with Remy? An even better question that bothered her at times was where was he during their fight with Apocalypse? She intended to ask him the next time she saw him.

Before there was a knock on their door, Laura's eyes had shot over to it. After the knock came, Rogue answered it to see Desmond standing there.

"Is Laura here?" he asked, Rogue's eyes shifted to the side when he said Laura's name, telling him she was.

"Yeah," she answered plainly. She let Desmond in and he found Laura sitting on her bed.

"Um, hey," Desmond said, meeting Laura's eyes. She answered back plainly, "So, I'm leaving tonight."

"What about your condition?" Laura asked. His decision to leave seemed to fly in the face of logic, given the level of unknowns that he faced.

"It's nothing I have to worry about right now. If anything it helped me survive," Desmond explained. Rogue stood there uncertain if she should leave.

"What about Weapon X? What about your father?" she asked. This was the most questions she had asked in a short period of time in recent memory.

Desmond sighed, "Whatever he's into, whatever we found, I don't want anything to do with it. I got a life to live. I can't spend it chasing after him or the people he works for. With the information we passed onto SHIELD, they have a better chance at doing some good than I do."

Rogue could not help but chime in bitterly at that remark, "Yeah, they'll look into it once it starts affectin' humans and mutants."

"Come on, they're the biggest intelligence agency out there, they have to prioritize-"

"Humans first it seems. Sure they've helped mutants out sometimes, but not when there was nothin' in it for them," Rogue hissed.

"Listen, I know you and your X-Men don't think too highly of humans," Desmond tried to be diplomatic, but he was facing victims of injustice.

"That's an understatement, considering all we've done for _your_ kind," Rogue grumbled.

"We're not all bigots. Not all of us fear you," Desmond urged her to believe him. He turned back to Laura, "Nevertheless, I don't see the point in staying here longer than I have to. I'm only human."

Stiff silence followed that comment. Trying to save some face, Desmond said, "I guess what I'm trying to say is I hope you live for more than chasing people who were responsible for whatever happened to you. And I hope you can start building a better life."

Laura nodded, "Thank you."

In order to avoid another awkward silence, Desmond slipped out of the room.

Laura did not see Desmond for the next few hours. His mother and uncle arrived to pick him up later that day. She watched him as he left, thinking about what he said. Why did he believe that it was better to let Weapon X go? They deserved to be punished for what they did to her. Why should she not go after them? How could she ever build a life for herself with them looming over her?

Logan caught up with her as she watched Desmond leave. He noticed she had been aloof all day, likely still getting used to her surroundings.

"Alright kid, what's eating at ya?" Logan asked. Laura was silent for awhile before answering.

"What is it you want me to do?" Laura asked, "What is my mission?"

Logan sighed, "I don't know, Laura. None of us do. We all have to figure that out. Here, you should be able to."

"How can I build a life for myself if Weapon X is still out there? Would it not be better to destroy them, and then build that life?" Laura asked, conflicted by all she was seeing, nigh overwhelmed.

"Maybe, but if you let the possibility that they may come for you while you build a life of your own, then they still control you," Logan answered.

Laura understood his reasoning. Looking back, perhaps he was right. Then again, did they not already come for her and destroy the life she was making for herself in NYC? So many questions and not enough answers frustrated her. Even so, she was willing to try again at the institute. If nothing else, it meant her freedom.

Laura had to try for herself, if no one else.

**Next chapter: Laura begins to explore Bayville under the watchful eye of Rogue. During their time there they have a chance encounter with a pair of former acolytes.**


End file.
